November 22 2024

A desolate ghost street in Possilpark is to be reintegrated into the wider city under proposals to deliver 33 social terraced houses and flats for social rent.

West of Scotland Housing Association has asked Mast Architects to create plans for 1.08 hectares of land lining the northern edge of Allander Street, replacing former inter-war tenements.

Fronting a planned park, as outlined by a broader Cowlairs masterplan, the homes will be built off-site using a modular timber frame system for efficiency.

In their design statement, Mast wrote: "The proposals are intended to be a pilot Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) developed and Connect Modular have been engaged to deliver the project. Connect Modular provide a fully volumetric, timber frame modular system which is manufactured off-site and assembled on site providing significant benefits in respect of quality, cost and time."

Attempts have been made to minimise front garden parking with a central landscaped space to connect with the future park.  

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Lovely on 23 Nov 2024 at 12:33 PM

Looks like a very poor cousin of the tenement, very suburban and anglicised or homogenised for an inner city street in Glasgow.

#2 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 23 Nov 2024 at 12:44 PM

Ghosts streets -- interesting language.
Now where have I heard it before ... !!!???!!!

Interesting take on volumetric -- bit of flexibility in play rather than the absolutist vibes that sank earlier attempts down south.

Not everything needs to be done in the factory just all the hard work / the stuff that needs build accuracy / the stuff that travels well.

Overall -- very low key / very suburban / less density than new towns.

Good start but lots still to do -- needs more scale and more imagination. Lots of wasted attic space on show plus a 50% reduction in build height.

For a city with an ongoing housing emergency these issues need to be addressed.

Finally -- what were the build economics?
Are they credible and can we afford them?

#3 Posted by Gay Gordon on 23 Nov 2024 at 19:17 PM

Say what you like about the "architecture", the crew that developed this plan have learned nothing from the disasters of the postwar planning period when useless, expensive and often dangerous open space was deemed sacred simply because it was painted green with grass. The worst of Easterhouse, Drumchapel and Castlemilk reprised for a community already done unto! Criminal development...

#4 Posted by Jay on 24 Nov 2024 at 12:35 PM

Calling this design mediocre would be too flattering. It’s dull with horrendous imagery. Is the 225mm concrete cills supposed to be a design ‘feature’?

Not to offend 5 years olds, I’ve seen more creativity in a primary school…

#5 Posted by Lovely on 24 Nov 2024 at 21:18 PM

The larger block- is it a big house, an amalgamated and conjoined terrace, a melee of cottage flats, perhaps some kind of small low level borstal or unrentable commercial office?

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