ASHLEY – ARLINGTON STREET, GLASGOW

Project title : 47 flats and maisonettes, and client office, Ashley - Arlington Street, Glasgow
Client : Charing Cross Housing Association
Design Team : Assist Architects; John Martin Partnership (QS); Robert Johnstone Associates (Engineer); Hurd Rolland Partnership (PS); Campbell Morris (CoW)

This brownfield site lies between the 4-storey Victorian tenements of Arlington Street to the north, the 2 and 3 storey stone Villas of Ashley Street to the south and the Woodlands Millennium Park to the east. The project was designed to meet three key Planning objectives; firstly to complete the street frontage to Arlington Street, secondly to create a new street frontage overlooking the public park (Arlington Place) and thirdly to provide a link to the 2 and 3 storey Villa architecture of Ashley Street.  This linking block was designed to match the massing and form of the adjacent Villas and provides new office accommodation for Charing Cross Housing Association.

Although originally designed in 1995 only minor amendments were required to meet the standards embodied in Housing for Varying Needs, when funding became available in 2001. This is a testament to Charing Cross Housing Association’s forward-looking plans for the site where all ground floor flats were designed to provide barrier free access with the inclusion of five wheelchair flats. In addition the remaining ground floor accommodation comprises large family Maisonettes, all with wheelchair accessible WC’s on the ground floor.

When the project was reviewed in 2001 it was decided to change from traditional build to timber frame construction, despite it being 4-storeys high in places. This had obvious advantages in terms of speed of erection, greener sourcing of materials used in construction and improved SAP ratings.

The completion of this project compliments the considerable investments over the years by Scottish Homes, Glasgow City Council and Charing Cross Housing Association.

Completed 2003
Contact: Andy Jack