Saltcoats Town Hall

Saltcoats Town Hall

Client: North Ayrshire Council
Procurement: North Ayrshire Council / Irvine Bay URC
Architect: McLean Architects
Value: £2.5m

This project exemplifies our conservation design and problem solving skills in the contracts of the complete redevelopment and extension of a listed Historic Building. This project was led by our Michael-John O’Shaughnessy (CARE) and certified by Brian Walker.

This project which involves the regeneration of this Grade B listed structure built in 1826 and extended in 1892. The structure has had various public, community and commercial uses over the years and it was in a state of severe dilapidation. The brief comprised of the complete and reconfiguration of the uses within the ground and first floors including the installation of new glazed ground floor frontages to provide a new reception and public/visitor entrance area accessed directly from Countess Street and a new purpose built Heritage Gallery. In addition, a new extension will be constructed to the rear of the property.

The buildings original structures were built during two periods and occupies a prominent location within the burgh. It consists of a “5 stage” tower with a low flanking recessed wing with painted droved ashlar. It has 2 storey wrap around wings with attics forming an L shape on plan. There are modern shop fronts at ground floor level with a band course and windows to 1st floor and cornice copes to eaves. It also has a piended canted dormer on the right hand side. The Town House section was built in 1825 by Ayrshire mason Peter King. Town Hall section was built by Howie and Walton in 1892 renaissance consisting of painted ashlar with 2 storeys in 3 symmetrical bays.

The brief was to re-establish the building as the main civic focus for Saltcoats and wider ‘Three Town’s’ area and act as a catalyst for their wider regeneration.

Our services included a full intrusive condition survey, coordinated with a specialist timber preservation survey, demolition and asbestos survey, detailed masonry condition survey and geotechnical survey along with the civil and structural engineering design for the whole project.
 

We initially prepared a structural maintenance plan with the urgent works incorporated into the refurbishment works. The main refurbishment works included the addition of a mezzanine floor within the main hall, structural alterations and a timber frame extension to the rear.

We liaised with Historic Environmental Scotland, the Planning Department and the Conservation Architect to produce structural solutions bias towards the preservation of the structures physical heritage.

Will Rudd Davidson were appointed by North Ayrshire Council and IBRC with McLean Architects recommendation in June 2013 to provide Civil, Structural and Conservation Engineering services in relation to refurbishment of the building.

Whist its Grade B listing provided a less onerous conservation requirement than a Grade A site, we nevertheless had it at the forefront of our methodology, even that the building was intended to engender heritage as its public function. We also applied our strong belief that heritage principles can be economically advantageous if directed creatively.

Minimum intervention policy led the design to use self-supporting lightweight new structures which did not rely on the existing structure. The mezzanine floor installation considered this approach, albeit there were more important structural engineering drivers involved in this part of the design.

The condition of the building was very poor at the beginning, and the timber and stone preservation surveying, repairs and conservation was a significant part of the brief. Again, minimum intervention played a part in the design approach, where existing timbers were treated and left in place, with new supporting structures inserted at their side to relieve their burden. This is not as easy as it sounds, and required careful detailing to ensure the loads were safely transferred.

The stone repairs and conservation also involved the assessment and repair of a pen check spiral stair together with extensive external invented repairs and cleaning up the façade.