The Lambhill Stables sit at the junction of the canal and Balmore Road. The site is approximately 1,944 m2. It consist of:
- The stables
- The lock keeper’s house
- A wetland Site of Special Scientific Interest (Possil Marsh).
The stables as they are today.
Lambhill Stables 2006
The Lambhill Stables site was built around 1856, for the horses that pulled the barges through the Forth and Clyde canal. It is a Grade C-listed historical building. It was subsequently used as vehicle repair workshops but has lain vacant for many years.
The dereliction of these historic buildings is a source of serious concern for the local community. As well as blighting the landscape and providing a target for vandalism, local residents and other stakeholders are very concerned about the continuing neglect of such an important landmark in their community.
… And The NEW
The land and buildings are currently owned by British Waterways (Scotland) who have agreed a 25 year lease to the Lambhill Stables on a peppercorn rent.
The development proposal for the Lambhill Stables site has been constructed with the aim of sympathetically developing the existing site, in keeping with the area whilst creating a fit for purpose space that can be used to its best advantage to deliver a wide range of services to the community.
In taking forward ideas for developing the site, the following design considerations were a priority:
- Preserve the current architectural heritage of the building
- As far as possible, the redeveloped stables should use sources of sustainable energy and natural ventilation including heat recovery.
- Viewpoints should be created over Possil Marsh which is a a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), giving it protection under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.
- Site and the canal for the observation of wildlife.
- The building should be Barrier Free and create as much multi functional space as possible.
The social corridor will also be used as exhibition space and will have smaller open informal meeting and breakout areas. A Learning Centre will be located in the new build part of the development separate from the office and studio areas. The upper floors of both buildings will be accessible by a wheelchair lift.
A specialist consultant will be recruited to provide advice on the use of biomass for heating. This will initially be brought to the centre by road but eventually be delivered by canal barge. Additional renewable energy provision will be gradually introduced using other methods including solar and wind power, working towards having the building entirely fuelled by renewable energy.
Environmentally friendly design is a key feature of the development. It includes fuel efficiency measures, waste minimisation and recycling strategies and the use of biomass & other renewables for fuel. This design will be displayed in the fabric of the building, showing how such systems work, and will be a living educational demonstration of environmental friendly production.