Laurieston Transformational Regeneration
Residential reconstruction of urban Glasgow by New Gorbals Housing Association
The first phase of the Laurieston regeneration project is the culmination of a very long journey, beginning in 2002, to transform the area and create a new residential quarter fit for the 21st century. The masterplan builds on the urban character of Glasgow, comprising clearly defined blocks to reinforce the grid-like quality of the city. Its character follows a contemporary tenement form, with a variety of housing types – apartments, maisonettes and terraced houses – exploiting where possible the rich possibilities of corners, southern aspect and courtyard environments. The ambition at the outset of the project was to achieve a powerful sense of place and a landmark for the future development of the Laurieston area – it is the manifestation of a vision with people at its heart.
Masterplan
Starting with the original Urban Initiatives masterplan the brief was to identify a suitable first phase area and modify the plan to include surface parking and more family units. The outer edges of the masterplan area were maintained at the four-storey tenement scale while the inner areas were broken down in to two/three storey courts for terraced housing. The parking in these areas was in the form of shared surface home-zones to encourage informal play. Extensive discussions with the Roads department and Planning informed the parking, traffic and suds strategy which enabled the original masterplan concepts to be realised while meeting current guidelines and client requirements. The centrepiece is a new square centred around the existing ‘Playbarn’ adding in much-needed amenity space and rich landscaping.
Design
The first phase of Laurieston is conceived as a new edge to the south city centre with a consistent scale and definition provided by four-storey elevations, a bookend mirroring the scale and ambition of Calton Place at the Clyde. The South-facing elevations are fully utilised with a series of balconies opening out from open-plan Living/Dining/Kitchen areas, providing a rich depth to the façade while offering opportunities for neighbourly interaction. The red brick mix is relieved in the inner courtyard by white bricks to the town house courts referencing the neighbouring 1970’s housing. The staggered elevation on Gorbals Street is generated by the off-grid alignment of the surrounding road layout, offering framed views to Thompson’s Caledonia Road Church and a south-facing aspect to this east-facing road.
Project Info
Overview
New Gorbals Housing Association
Gorbals Street / Margaret Street, The Gorbals, Glasgow
£22,260,000
11,000m2
November 2014
Awards
Consultants
Turner & Townsend
Waterman Group
Waterman Group
Ian White Associates
Robertsons
Turner & Townsend
McTaggart Construction
Andrew Lee
