The Calders Overcladding
Edinburgh District Council

Project Value: £5 million
Client: Edinburgh District Council

Consultants: Sir Frederick Snow & Ptnrs - Structural & Civil Engineers

Cladding Contractor: Modern Structural Plastics

The Calders near Wester Hailes, Edinburgh, is a group of tower blocks built in the 1960s. When Edinburgh District Council decided to upgrade the estate, it involved the residents in the decision-making process and appointed the Practice to develop a brief and a strategy to give the estate a better image. The residents strongly opposed the vogue of an applied abstract "graphic" solution. They indicated that they would like to see a design which represented stability and performance and which added dignity and value to their environment.

The cladding system is metal framed with profiled sheeting and insulation. This system provided a protective skin to the buildings, which have suffered from spalling concrete and poor insulation standards.

At the base, the blocks originally stood on pilots. These have been enclosed by a banded brick perimeter wall enclosing an area, which now houses management offices, foyer and storage. This solid enclosure provides the base for the vertical composition.

We proposed an overcladding solution based upon rational classical principles. This introduced a sense of scale, proportion and harmony to the facades. This won favour with the residents and provided the estate with a landmark image.

See also:
Press & Publications > Building Refurbishment Nov 1990 >>

Photos © Keith Hunter