A £31m project in Falkirk, Scotland, has delivered 111 new social homes, with residents now having already moved in.
Supported by Will Rudd, a conservation, civil and structural engineering firm, Falkirk Council was able to protect the listed Woodend Farm farmhouse whilst creating a new community with complementary infrastructure.
Challenges posed by the site included a significant water main and upgrading access roads including a roundabout. Will Rudd, in conjunction with the in-house design team at Falkirk Council, was able to limit crossings of the water main to a minimum and design a safe and usable roundabout despite being on a slope.
The existing listed farmhouse posed challenges from a structural and conservation engineering perspective too, with walls requiring strengthening and a recent fire making refurbishment more difficult.
Prior to the works, the farm steading showed significant degradation and some parts of the farm buildings had to be taken down and painstakingly rebuilt by skilled traditional stonemasons.
The derelict steading has been transformed into 12 new flats, with a further 99 two-storey homes across the development.
Alan Lamb, director at Will Rudd Edinburgh, said: “Our team worked closely with the project management and design teams at Falkirk Council, as well as contractor, CCG, to deliver this excellent, highly livable social housing project in Falkirk.
“This required a wide skillset taken from across Will Rudd, delivering civil, structural and conservation expertise to create what is not a thriving community.
“It is always a pleasure to work on conserving our built heritage, despite the difficult and sometimes surprising challenges it can create. But seeing families enjoying living in this beautiful former farmhouse is the real reward.”
Kenny Gillespie, the council’s head of communities, innovation and housing, said: “This development is an important addition to our new housing programme, providing 111 high-quality homes for local people.
“It also shows how we can work with partners to deliver new housing while protecting and restoring valued heritage buildings. The result is a well-designed development that will support the community for years to come.”
Main image: Woodend Farm before works were carried out
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