Celebrating the Role of Women in the Design of Glasgow

A book produced by The University of Strathclyde for Glasgow 1999 UK City of Architecture and Design.

The book sets out to celebrate the range of women involved in the design of Contemporary Glasgow. It features architectural projects, energy efficiency, health and housing. It also features civil engineering, landscape and community arts. The book is a 1999 Partnership Project.

For copies of the book, contact Dr. Dory Reeves (d.e.reeves@strath.ac.uk), The University of Strathclyde, Department of Environmental Planning, University of Strathclyde, 50 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XN.

Govan Industrial Estates Upgrade
     Ann Nevett

Woodville Street is located in Govan directly behind the world famous Ibrox football stadium. This streetscape scheme completed in June 1998 upgraded the environment for the industrial premises to the west end.

The project had its origins in the early 1990's when numerous reports on Glasgow's industrial and commercial property market concluded that the environmental quality of the city's industrial areas was very poor. In Govan the main industrial areas were characterised by gap sites, ageing, underused and vacant buildings and poorly maintained "green space". A survey by Govan Initiative, the Local Economic Development Company, of 178 businesses indicated that 46% of the companies were dissatisfied with the quality of their surrounding environment.

In 1995, in order to retain the businesses in, and attract new business to the Initiative area, Govan Initiative and the Glasgow Development Agency established an Industrial Upgrading Pilot Project. It sought to improve the appearance of the industrial areas by assisting existing companies to improve the appearance of the buildings they occupied and bring forward a variety of environmental improvements in the public domain. Dallman Johnstone Architects with Ann Nevett Landscape Architects produced a Design Guide for Upgrading of Industrial Estates. Three target areas were selected - South Drumoyne, North Kinning Park and Ibrox, and pilot projects subsequently identified.

The priority South Drumoyne Road was implemented first at a cost of £162,000. This upgraded the existing industrial access road to adaptable standards, introduced footpaths, street lighting, parking, hammerhead turning and a visual buffer of soft landscape in the form of trees and hedge to the adjacent housing. A measurable success of the project was that during and following the works both vacant and derelict sites at each end were developed into new industrial and retail use.

Following this completion in 1996, design development commenced for Woodville Street. The identified 220m section from Broomloan Road to Clynder Street although primarily industrial in use, interestingly is also much frequented on match days for access and parking. At each end were anchor sites both owned by Glasgow City Council, the Albion Bar with in its barren slab paving, tarmacadam car park with grass and the gap site at Clynder Street which despite its chainlink fencing was subject to fly tipping. Accesses to the industrial premises had evolved over time as occupiers and use requirements changed. They comprised a mismatch of poorly designed unsuitable surfacing which had resulted in vehicle damage to pavements. Overhead was an unsightly array of cabling.

The design solution focused on providing improved and properly designed accesses to benefit all premises and overall improvements to the visual image of the street frontage. Granite and whin setts were selected as the most appropriate material for the heritage of the area and to provide robust and sustainable surfacing for the turning articulated lorries. The project was fortunate to receive excellent quality second hand granite setts from Glasgow City Roads Department. These were used for accesses, as a unifying edge treatment for the new pavements, and at the junction with Broomloan road as a gateway feature. All overhead cabling was removed as new street lighting was installed and by undergrounding their cabling British Telecom were able to remove redundant poles. The pub site frontage was repaved and bollards introduced to prevent unauthorised parking on match days. Planting was introduced and established wherever possible at each end. Raised brick planters form strong features define the street edge from the less used land behind. The Mediland roses in the car park planters, selected for all year flowering and requiring only minimal maintenance have been received particularly well. Govan Initiative piloted their new series of coherent signs on this project. These include gateway signs at each end and for Woodville Park and a street and business directory at the new lorry bay. Since the projects completion, many properties have had painting facelifts and new properties have developed from these accesses, notably new premises for the client itself. Govan Initiative has relocated to the new Ibrox Business Park which has one of its accesses on Woodville Street.

Since June 1998 the site has been under its year's defects liability period but perhaps more importantly an intensive regime of landscape management and maintenance including regular visits for sweeping and litter removal. It is hoped with its handover now to the landowners, mostly Glasgow City Council, this management and maintenance will be sustained, and the project continue to thrive.

Women's involvement in the project has included Lilian Johnstone of Dalman Johnston Architects who with Ann Nevett of Ann Nevett Landscape Architects and Dee Burleigh of Govan Inititative brought forward the pilot. Since then Ann Nevett has been appointed Landscape Architect for South Drumoyne Road and Woodville Street.