Castlemilk Stables

The building is a Georgian Stable Block and the only surviving remnant of a historic country estate. It was first built around 1750 and provided a magnificent landmark situated on high ground with an impressive octagonal tower topped with a dome. It is Category B-Listed, a fine example of its kind and unique in the area. The original Castlemilk House of the estate was demolished in the 1960s. Although the Stable Block survived, by 1994 it was empty and had become damaged by fire and was a building at risk.

The people of Castlemilk Housing Estate, mounted a 10 year long campaign to save the building and give it a sustainable re-use. A feasibility study identified the local housing association as an end user that would use the principal space as offices and lettable office accommodation which would in turn provide income for community uses and maintenance of the building. To be viable we needed to increase the usable floor area whilst avoiding compromising the architectural integrity of the building. Our organisation purchased the building, assembled the design team and raised the funding with our partners (in excess of £4m from a total of 26 agencies and charitable organisations), then oversaw the specialist work in terms of the careful repair and restoration of the listed fabric and the delivery of the re-use of this local landmark.

Summary
Completed in July 2007 and handed over to the community this project is situated in an area of multiple deprivation on the periphery of Glasgow. The vision came from the community who were intent on saving a derelict 18th century Stable Block in the heart of their area; this is a community inspired project. Our organisation Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT), a charitable trust, entered into partnership with Cassiltoun Housing Association, to meet the aspirations of the community to restore the building and retain it for community ownership with a long term sustainable use.

Architect: Elder and Cannon, Tom Connolly

The conservation led restoration, started in 2005 and completed in July 2007, was placed in the hands of Elder and Cannon, the Glasgow-based award winning architects. They worked to find a way of restoring the historic fabric of the Category B Listed building and at the same time give it the new floor area required for a viable social enterprise. The answer has been to sensitively conserve and repair the external elevations very much as they were, and add a simple glass and steel cloister and inner foyer which allow the original fabric to be viewed whilst enabling the creation of a modern multi-use space.

The main contractor for this project was Chard Construction who are increasingly involved in working on historic buildings and building up a strength of specialist expertise. This complex restoration project required traditionally skilled stone masons, lead workers and slaters with specialist skills and knowledge in working with traditional materials. GBPT’s strict conservation philosophy was applied throughout the project. GBPT aspires to best practice in architectural conservation, informed by the principals embodied the conservation policies and practises formulated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites, in particular the Venice and Burra Charters. Articles 1 and 5 of the Venice Charter in particular relate to fundamental objectives of GBPT in terms of providing, where possible, a socially useful purpose to ensure long-term sustainability of the building and its place and wider urban setting.

“After a hard day travelling round Scotland, looking at a whole series of fine buildings, on entering the restored stables block, the immediate impression was - this is a totally different order of building, controlled, superbly spatially manipulated, poetic, it’s architecture of the highest order.

The fine Georgian building renovated to provide a historical sense of place for the surrounding community, melded with stunning contemporary construction providing a social focus for local organisations and a lively day nursery, all built round a wonderfully peaceful courtyard which encourages a host of temporary local functions.”
Professor Andrew MacMillan

“Since the completion of the rescue and restoration of this beautiful community building it has become the centre of local activity. It represents our community’s sense of place and captures our civic pride in what the community has achieved. Attracting now thousands of visitors, it has given us confidence and the aspiration to do more ”
Charlie Millar of Cassiltoun Trust