December 1 2020

Elderpark Housing Association have gone back to the future for their new headquarters, a fully restored Victorian school in Govan.

The former Hills Trust Primary School has been transformed at the hands of Mast Architects, who have sympathetically restored the 150-year old B-listed structure together with CCG.

These works retain the prominent bell tower as well as interior features such as high ceilings and cast iron radiators and railings, contrasted with large format prints and a modern copper-clad fully accessible extension to the rear.

Elderpark chief executive Gary Dalziel added: "We have been in need of suitable office space for some time and perhaps the easier option would have been to build a brand new office. However, as an organisation rooted within the community for well over 40 years, the opportunity to make Hills Trust our new home appeals to our ethos as a local organisation.

"Having lain derelict for around 10 years, we are proud that we have been able to bring the building back to life and maintain such an important part of Govan’s history for generations to come.”

The new HQ has been delivered alongside 82 terraced homes and cottage flats at nearby Nethan Street.

9 Comments

#1 Posted by G Man on 2 Dec 2020 at 09:19 AM

The first picture, looks like a shot taken prior to it being restored.. If that's the finished job, it looks grimy and needs a good wash, the perimeter fence looks like it's not seen fresh paint for about 30 years..

#2 Posted by B. Fuller on 2 Dec 2020 at 10:27 AM

Why would you clean the sandstone? Would it be in order to destroy the material, or to destroy the patina of time, or some other invalid reason?

#3 Posted by Robin B's Discount on 2 Dec 2020 at 11:06 AM

This conversion has my sympathy too.

#4 Posted by David on 2 Dec 2020 at 11:37 AM

Another terrific school conversion in Glasgow, the rest of Scotland should follow it's example. Another beautiful conversion job has been the Holmlea Road primary that completed a few weeks ago, into apartments.

#5 Posted by G Man on 2 Dec 2020 at 15:00 PM

#2 Back in the day there was corrosive chemicals in stone cleaning solutions, today such substances are less harsh on stonework. Sure, I have seen the damage that this done to buildings in the past. If it should be left as it is, with stonework visibly eroding at parts in the picture does that mean that buildings such as the City Chambers should have been left as they were?

Benefits of Stone Cleaning

To improve appearance
To remove impervious paintwork
To help blend in original stonework with new eg. following an extension or extensive repairs
To slow down damage and decay due to deposits such as lichen and algae on the surface of the stone
To help reveal the condition of the building so that cracks, missing pointing and other structural issues are more easily identified
To allow the repair of structural issues such as cracks and missing pointing.

#6 Posted by B. Fuller on 3 Dec 2020 at 12:10 PM

Improve appearance- subjective.
Impervious paintwork- I don't see much evidence of cement render in the photos.
To help blend in- a lot of conservation guidance is quite clear about delineation between new and old.
The rest of your points- pointing and cracks can be repaired without cleaning stonework.
What are your thoughts on the Neues Museum- should Chipperfield have specified stone indents to hide the bullet holes and bomb damage?

#7 Posted by G Man on 4 Dec 2020 at 08:25 AM

What happened in Berlin is entirely of their own doing, the Russians didn't mess about there and quite rightly so, no mention of the bombing of Hamburg or Cologne, but this is going off topic, however, the UK Government thought it was best to make Glasgow look a bombsite for years but apparently that was ok.. Unlike other parts of the world ravaged by war, don't think the UK kept any reminders of the effects of such atrocities..

#8 Posted by B. Fuller on 4 Dec 2020 at 15:04 PM

Enjoy your night pal.

#9 Posted by Terra_ on 22 Jan 2021 at 17:07 PM

Thats a braw building.

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