2022 - Self building an Accessable suite of rooms in Eaglesham. Wrapping around a 1930s brick Semi to share heat the extension shifts from super insulated wood walls to triple glazed bifolds in its sunny private rear garden.
Opening up a 1930s Bungalow in Bearsden to the sun and garden adding an openable dining room and covered Sitooterie - With 2 x oculus for starlight.
Measured Survey and Drawing Record of Baldernock Church toward Conservation underway
COMMUNITY RENEWABLE ENERGY !!! HELP PLEASE
Just a wee circular to highlight there is an interesting and worthy renewables venture to dump some money into within the next 10 days.
U can do it here :-
Background :-
Between 2017 and 2019 my practice - Retool architecture - conducted a year long consultation into Community interest in providing Renewable Energy on a number of local Buildings.
The process was allowed for by Architecture + Design Scotland’s -“ Making Places “ scheme + You can see the final consultation report here.
Effectively - The vast majority of people consulted said they wanted to see buildings like Glendale Primary school be powered more sustainably.
We built a model and issued simple engagement tools that eased participation. The kids and Parents planted a concentration of Renewable flags at Glendale Primary School.
Joe Smee from Local Energy Scotland was watching and gave me a prompt to pre register any possible buildings that might be able take solar panels for The UK governments - last round of - Feed in Tarrif. A scheme which incentivised the uptake of renewable Energy.
As a practice, we dropped everything and jumped through the hoops in a matter of weeks and Glendale Primary school was registered with a day to spare.
Then
Following hearing Richard Witney of On-site Generation speak at the CARES conference, having met Ellie Harrison and with a view to actually meeting the installation deadline, I jumped on to the Board of Glasgow Community energy
( GCE) where Ellie was Chair.
Every administrative obstacle you could imagine was put in the way, as it was Glasgow City Council,s first Community request for renewables on a building in their ownership.
On the GCE Board we had a member from the Edinburgh Solar Co op, - Jim Lee ( Energy for All ) who provided a pro forma accepted in Edinburgh, that aided with bureaucratic dead ends and legal obstacles.
We took no prisoners, ignored the dead ends and despite the pandemic- we won the day.
Solar panel Installations were completed on the roofs of Glendale Primary School in Pollokshields and on Ashton Secondary school in Easterhouse. These 2 schools are now generating renewables and lowering their Carbon foot print where 6 other strong contenders did not make it through the bureaucracy.
What’s the share offer money to be used for ?
Glasgow Community Energy have borrowed half of the installation costs and are looking to clear costs of 30 K through this community focussed share offer.
The Governments “ Feed in Tarrif” for each unit of clean electricity produced will generate income for GCE and that Income is to be distributed to other worthy arts culture and Energy projects through a city wide community benefit programme.
GCE Is a not for profit organisation and the majority of Board members including me contribute on a voluntary an£ non transactional basis.
You can Invest anything from £ 50.00 to £ 5 000.00
By following the link on this flier.
Investing in this is not about making money, it’s about investing in accelerating change toward the saving of this lovely planet.
With these first buildings fully through process, there can be more of the same and the next more radical projects will start to evolve.
Be quick.
Andy Mc
A LISTED REFURBISHMENT WORKS
In January to May 2021 - We have been surveying drawing and making proposals through Listed Building Consent Process that will protect - Alexander Thomson's - Lorne Terrace of 1870
These precious tenements have to find a way through the Climate crisis with all the other infrastructure. WE are looking a detailed look at the windows and Heritage sensitive upgrade.
PANDEMIC PROCESS
over 6 Months in 2020 whilst all was locked down - Me and daughter Holly with help from Julia Bauer completed this Community Focussed installation signalling the end of the Mark Makers project. It has since been repurposed by a new project called the Bowling Green. See Mark Makers + 12 lock down tasks in Portfolio section of this website for fuller story. So proud of the work of 12 year old Holly and the amazing Julia.
Been expending some time on Accuracy in locating a Passive + active Solar House it its Leitrim Landscape and trying to tease it through the Planning system.
Its in for Appeal with all those Bungalows that destroy Irelands rural aspect.
extruded from + slotted into landscape with the body of an old cottage in its belly ...it will hopefully sit - Adder like and not be noticed , whilst noticing rather a lot in its very specific and noted context.
Remediation at StoneByres Orchard has meant finding a new Home for 400 sqm of Glass house in Ayrshire - Therebye creating a Strong Green legacy for the new Build before we even start construction. There is also a hectare of new ecological space and 2.5 hectares of protected Oak Woodland in homage to nearbye Cadzow. + Happy badgers and birds
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Accepting the pre existing stratification of Stone Byres castle and Orchard .
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A new strategy for a 400 year Old Orchard - Including A new custom built - Apple Barn as combined agricultural Barn and venue space .
Landscape Design and management strategy . Modern day earth works + Micro cabins.
To be submitted for Planning mid june 2017 .
"In an Organic Architecture the ground predetermines all features : the climate modifies them , available means limit them , function shapes them.
Like agriculture , architecture is a modification of the natural order and amidst that the continued existence of the wayside flower is no less important than technical innovation. " - Frank LLoyd Wright Architecture and Nature - 1941
New Barns opening to a farm Courtyard and facilitating ease of access to a series of ancient carriageways leading to the confluence of the Stone Byres Burn and the upper reaches of River Clyde
Simple Buldings of localy cycled and recycled material bedded in an Orchard narrative
From locally harvested Oak + Ash wood the new Barns will be made
In homage to the Earth works of the nearbye Black Hill and climate these new Micro cabins will be nestled by subtle manipulation sof the earth that surrounds them. Native species of plants will stabilise them and the ecology will improve quickly.
Playing around with the time continuum - The barns will seem like they have always been there.
We are helping to interrogate the future + negotiate the City on 9th February
New Highland Gallery - First Sketch
DWELL
On the Drawing Board - Autumn 2016 Eaglesham - Glasgow.
A wee Green Oak Solar Play Barn sliding open to a private Garden for 3 Wee Boys
What's happening in 2017 ?
DETONATION SHED
August 2017 - Creative Scotland have approved the next step in the Govan Gdansk exchange - Retool will be pursuing a new Community engagement strategy that will result in the interpretation and metaphorical making of a discursive object or shed". This being with a view to teasing out Community discussion on Tangible + Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Watch a number of Water front Spaces for something being craned across the horizon.
A glympse was given on :-
20-21 January 2017, Riverside Museum, Glasgow
Top down meets bottom up in post-industrial regeneration: Good practice and challenges in participatory approaches to community engagement in city planning "
Contact - for bookings
Professor - Katarzyna Kosmala
School of Media, Culture and Society
University of the West of Scotland
MAKE, A214
Paisley PA 1 2BE
International Conference organized by the University of the West of Scotland, School of Media, Culture and Society, in association with RSE-funded project - Interdisciplinary and Cross-Institutional Research Network Regeneration and Waterfront Heritage Zones in Northern Europe
June 2016 - We contributed To - The Channel 4 program
‘Penelope Keith At Her Majesty’s Service’. Which looked at the "Hidden kingdom" once centered at Govan.
To let you know that Episode 2 of our series with Dame Penelope Keith was broadcasted on Sunday 12th June 2016 ) at 20.00 on Channel 4.
Contact the practice for details of how to view .
STOP PRESS - Spent a day discussing "Hidden Kingdoms" in Govan with Penelope Keith and Reef TV for a Channel 4 program. Interview to be aired in June 2016
Watch this space.
Difficult for a Graphite mouse ,,, Revit is now in House. But its not for Design its for process.
Future Dwellings - To be well made....
We are developing new house prototypes for single or multiple use, including the latest generation of micro Pods for sustainable - "off Grid " dwelling.
Use the contact section of the site to enquire. Our most recent innovations are not yet shown here.
WE will soon be "Future Proofing" - Dalgarven Mill - Ayrshire With an addition to the listed Building grouping.
Working sensitively amidst a heriatge Environment - Dalgarven Mill 2
NEW Dutch Barn in the mix of the Utilitarian setting - Dalgarven Mill 3
Elevation of NEW Dutch Barn in the mix of the Utilitarian setting - Dalgarven Mill
Gdansk Cranes - Wee people appreciating them being animated, call these - "Birdie Choo Choo' s "
GOVAN + GDANSK Exchange
Northern European Waterfront Heritage Zones Network. The practice is part of this network and contributes to an exemplary cross border and multi disciplinary knowledge exchange . The aim of the network is to enable the 2 cities to "compare notes" on authentic Industrial narratives being missed by top down process. The exchange seeks to share and offer exemplary emerging heritage related practice that pushes boundaries . In summer 2016 there will be a series of events in Gdansk and we hope to visit to Gdansk and take something y way of exchange with us. Watch this space. Gdansk; with its daily skyline ballet of working cranes, is under threat and currently providing counterpoint .in its efforts to protect its Heritage. Gdansk Shipyard is presently helping Retool its architecture, by awakening appreciation of Industry, products, real landscape and people. 
A Ship Manufacturing Hall on the Toolmakers street - Gdansk
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'Whilst in Gdansk on the exchange in August 2015 ; we had the pleasure of being shown first hand , the buildings infrastructure and intangible heritage that our exchange partners have been battling on for 7 years now.
Critical Heritage Dialogue is underway and will culminate in conference, to which we will contribute. 20-21 January 2017, Riverside Museum, Glasgow Top down meets bottom up in post-industrial regeneration: Good practice and challenges in participatory approaches to community engagement in city planning. As seen above one of the Shipbuilding sheds of the Tool makers street show the attenuation to detail in these working buildings of brick and Iron. LEARNING FROM GDANSK - Our Polish partners have fought and achieved protection for the remaining 50% of 270 hectares of Shipyard. They have pushed this via creativity and determination at national government level . The 50% that has evaded the wrecking ball, is under their considered gaze All the usual suspects are around seeking to demolish and invade the public / Industrial realm with the private waterside interest !!! However Architect - Jacek Dominicak is busy with his "dia logic" space tool illustrating the importance of public over private . Gdansk is reengaging its medieval city with the very thing that generated it - a trading port and ship building facility. The debate is live and Dr Roman Sebastyanski is busy rewriting the narrative of Shipyard ... as a living breathing entity , "The very idea of Shipyard , is becoming of value in itself. " ShipYard is hotter than rivet ! " Conservator of Industrial apparatus Valdemar Affelt is busy commodifying every last rivet and pushing the human association and culture of riveter through into the realm of ICH. Govan and Glasgow have much to learn from Gdansk . . STOP PRESS - Gdansk - Cutting edge Solidarity Centre wins European Prize. See link below for the latest news from Gdansk. http://bit.ly/1N9H6N5 |
Work continues on Boucher + Cousland Architects. Over the last 4 years we have created a written and photographic record of many aspects of the practice and their work. A practice that pushed the boundaries of mid 19th Century Architecture to the limits.
Watch this space. Please be in contact if you have an interest in B+C or an enquiry.
See - Diarmid in the Portfolio section of this site for an example of their work which we are helping to rescue.