A Glasgow architect is calling for more early engagement with key housing project stakeholders to help unlock the true potential of sites.
George Buchanan, who founded George Buchanan Architects ten years ago, claims architects have the creativity and problem-solving skills to deliver the best outcomes – but can only do so if they have the correct information to start with.
“We need to know the developer’s aspirations, what their end goals are, cost restrictions, and physical constraints of the site,” George told Project Scotland. “It’s getting that early dialogue with the developer but also the rest of the key stakeholders.
“If we can get involved with those discussions, as architects, we’ve got the skills to use the information to come up with better solutions, whether it’s financially better, sustainably better, or placemaking better.”
George cited two high-profile examples where early engagement led to positive outcomes. One was an affordable homes scheme in a tight site in Govanhill in Glasgow’s southside involving AS Homes (Scotland) and Southside Housing Association. Early dialogue with the developer, planner, registered social landlord and road chiefs, led to stakeholders willing to look at a car-free solution, which evolved into a cycle-friendly development and a result which, according to George, successfully ‘repaired the urban grain’.
Likewise, early engagement with planners on a project in Castlemilk with AS Homes and Craigdale Housing Association, led to the discovery that any softening on the density of the steeply sloping site was not going to be feasible. That resulted in the practice realising that the linear blocks the developer had initially suggested would not be viable. George Buchanan’s solution was to redesign the project with a pavilion block approach, allowing the firm to make best use of the site in terms of greenspace and amenity use.
“We’ve now got a great solution, great placemaking, and a very happy client,” George revealed. “We actually got an email from one tenant to say how happy they were in their new flat, which is great.”
George Buchanan Architects was conceived with the aim of being a family-friendly practice with a strong culture and commitment to being approachable, professional, and creative. While the business has dabbled in sectors such as education, it has grown primarily on the back of its work in the residential field.
“Residential is what we love,” George admitted. “We do a lot of larger scale domestic extensions, new builds, but we also do affordable homes for the likes of AS Homes and Bellway. And we do developer work, such as developing housetypes for new housebuilders coming into the market.”
Key milestones have included the transformation of the former Ruchill Hospital site in Glasgow into a new build residential community featuring around 400 high quality homes for private sale. George Buchanan worked with Bellway on the project and, once again, constructive dialogue with planners helped shape the scheme, which involved extensive community engagement and a challenging steeply sloping site.
When the pandemic hit, the practice invested heavily in technology, including 3D software, to work remotely. This has resulted in the business expanding its geographical reach, thanks to the ability to work from virtually anywhere.
“All our CGIs, videos, and VR are done in-house and getting better and better as we get more confident and experienced with the software,” George added. “That’s led us to work with Hadden Homes in Angus. Normally we’d be up and down every week for design and contracting team meetings, but we can do that remotely now and it’s been so helpful.”
Looking to the future, George believes ambitious environmental challenges will pose both challenges and opportunities for architects – but warned of the dangers of a lack of clarity around what’s coming.
“We hear we’re going to have this Scottish Passivhaus Standard and can’t have log burning fires,” he said. “There’s a lack of communication on what’s going to be required. You can see the reluctance of some of the industry. What horse do we back if we don’t know which ones are going to be in the race?
“I think tech is the opportunity. We have appliances and heat pumps and all sorts in houses now that are online. I get a message when my son keeps the fridge door open too long! There’s full house management systems out there. As their costs come down with increase in their use, I think they’ll become more prevalent. That allows you to control more in your house and reduce energy use.”
George cited the way the bigger players, in particular, in the industry adapted to CDM regulations as cause for optimism around the sector’s ability to embrace change and prosper within the sustainability agenda.
“Some of the big guys, like CCG with their offsite manufacturing base, have addressed it from the start,” George stated. “That’s fantastic. The question for everyone is what horse do they choose? Is it air source heat pumps? Is it ground source? Is it MVHR? Passivhaus is a huge step – that’s more than just airtightness and ventilation. The information and figures that go into Passivhaus are quite a step for any developer to take on.”
Recent figures around new housing starts and completions in Scotland have provided cause for alarm. To help ease the housing crisis and ensure Scotland has both the quantity and quality of new homes required, George emphasised the ‘critical’ role of statutory authorities.
Despite the positive examples mentioned above, there is still frustration that dialogue with planners can prove difficult. With planning departments grappling with limited resources and the loss of experienced personnel, George lamented the lack of opportunities nowadays to talk through developments with a red pen, or even take planners out to see sites and discuss options.
“We’ve lost that ability to engage with them, to talk through a development with a pen,” he said. “Also, the planning legislation that came in was all about pre-applications, so that everything was done up front; when the application went in there was no need for more dialogue allegedly. It’s not working.
“(The process) is taking too long and quite often what we get told is just ‘this is our policy’. We know the policy. We want to know the planning stance on a particular site. Policy is one thing, but there are nuances within the policy you can work around and work with to come to the solution for the site. If you go to pre-app, some authorities won’t engage with you further after that.
“It’s not a criticism of the planners. They don’t have the staff; investment has been removed from them so they’re working with their hands tied behind their backs.”
As George Buchanan Architects marks ten years in business, George considered what he expects the next decade to look like. He believes technology will represent the biggest change and is predicting tools such as Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality to become increasingly mainstream.
The technology the firm invested in at the time of the pandemic is already playing an important role in driving early engagement aspirations.
“There have been a few projects where we’ve developed really high-quality CGI, but also video flyarounds, to showcase to stakeholders what we were proposing,” George added. “They could see more than what any drawing would show.
“Going forward, augmented reality is the next big thing. There are loads of furniture suppliers that allow you to take a photograph and put their furniture in your space. That’s got to come soon with architecture. It’s already there; it’s just making it more accessible and affordable.
“The ability to do things in-house allows you to roll with the punches and almost (make changes) on screen as you’re talking to developers or planners. You can make changes and see it happening, which is great. It makes for easier decision-making on the stakeholder’s part, and the developer’s part. They can understand what they’re getting or what we’re suggesting whereas not everyone can read 2D drawings or even artist’s impressions. I think the technology is going to drive us forward, and AI is in amongst that. There’s so many things out there that AI is already doing for us that maybe we don’t even realise.”
