Author Archive

DSDC Gold Accreditation 11/10/2024Robert Potter and Partners

Seaforth House Care Home at Goathill has received DSDC Gold Accreditation for its dementia friendly design.

Seaforth House at Goathill has received the prestigious DSDC Gold Accreditation for its dementia friendly design. This is the first building in the Western Isles to achieve DSDC Gold.

Comments from the University of Stirling Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) auditor include how quiet and calm the building is, and how it feels spacious and relaxing even though it accommodates 52 residents.

The Outer Hebrides is an exposed part of Scotland with strong weather conditions. The design complements and mediates between the provision of a safe and supportive care environment supporting residents to maximise their independence and enjoy the opportunities of this location.

This follows the project winning the Building Better Healthcare Special Award for biggest impact on the patient experience and outcomes, and the SURF Award for Housing and Regeneration.

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Planning Permission for Glennifer View, Paisley 24/7/2024Robert Potter and Partners

The approved design will provide 31 flats with balconies and decks beside Moredun playing fields.

Planning Consent has been granted for a new development of 31 flats at Glennifer View in Paisley. The site is beside a Category B Listed building and adjoins Moredun Playing Fields. The design provides 1, 2 and 3 bedroom flats of various sizes, all with patios or balconies, and the penthouse flats have surrounding decks.

The flats are in three separate buildings with heights varying from 3 to 5 storeys to suit the sloping topography.

Ecological Enhancements include use of native tree species such as rowan and silver birch with under-planting of native shrub species such as bramble, hawthorn, dog-rose and elder to encourage bird life, together with nest boxes suitable for titmouse species, house sparrows, swifts and house martins.

 

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60 Year Anniversary for the Practice! 5/4/2024Robert Potter and Partners

Robert Potter and Partners were established on 5th April 1964 and we are celebrating our 60th year in practice.

Robert Potter and Partners were established on 5th April 1964 and we are celebrating our 60th year in practice. We have developed significant expertise in a wide range of building types and have delivered projects across the UK.

Our team have particular specialisms in Conservation & Historic Buildings, Low Energy & Passivhaus, Dementia Design, Retrofit, Social Housing, Healthcare, Masterplanning, and designing to mitigate Climate Change.

Thank you to our many loyal clients, our great team, and to the many professionals we collaborate with every day on such a variety of projects!

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Official Opening of the Goathill Care and Residential Project 25/3/2024Robert Potter and Partners

Maree Todd MSP and Joe Fitzpatrick MSP opened the Goathill dementia care, extra care and residential development.

Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport and Joe Fitzpatrick MSP, Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning officially opened the Goathill Project Development at a ceremony in Stornoway, on a fine sunny day.

The Goathill Development Project consists of the 52 bedroom Taigh Shiphoirt (Seaforth House) Care Home, 50 Unit Bremner Court Housing with Extra Care development and 74 affordable homes.

The development was delivered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar & Hebridean Housing Partnership in conjunction with the Western Isles Integration Joint Board.

The project team worked closely with the Dementia Services Development Centre at the University of Stirling to achieve a dementia-friendly environment.  Taigh Shiphoirt was designed with four wings for small group living, arranged around safe courtyard spaces. This design maximises natural daylight and has provided a welcoming, familiar environment for residents.

Taigh Shìphoirt also accommodates a daycare facility occupied by Solas (Alzheimer Scotland), a corporate training suite and a new location for the Faire community alarm service.

Bremner Court provides a 15-bed respite facility on the ground floor with 35 flats on the first and second floors which enable people to live independently in their own home while having support provided to meet each individual’s specific needs.

The 74 homes on Sinclair Avenue are a mix of 16 shared equity with the remainder being for rent. There is a mix of family and one bedroom accommodation.  The homes are heated by air source heat pumps and are highly insulated to minimise running costs for households.

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Andrew Northway becomes an Associate 1/2/2024Robert Potter and Partners

Andrew Northway, Chartered Architect and Passivhaus Designer, has been made an Associate in the practice.

Robert Potter and Partners are pleased to announce the promotion of Andrew Northway to the role of Associate. This recognises Andrew’s dedication, skills, and commitment to the practice.

Andrew joined us in 2017 and qualified as a Chartered Architect in 2020. Andrew is an invaluable member of our team, involved in a range of buildings including healthcare, residential and Passivhaus. Andrew recently qualified a Certified European Passive House Designer, showcasing a commitment to high-performance, energy-efficient building standards. This expertise aligns seamlessly with our values and dedication to creating places that not only meet the needs of our clients and end users but also contribute positively to the environment.

This promotion recognises what Andrew has achieved with the practice to date and anticipates Andrew’s future contributions as an integral part of our leadership team.

Congratulations Andrew on this well-deserved promotion!

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SURF Award for Goathill 14/12/2023Robert Potter and Partners

Goathill Housing and Care Home Project in Stornoway won the 2023 SURF Award for Housing and Regeneration.

The Goathill project has won the SURF Award 2023 for Housing and Regeneration. The development was an ambitious initiative by Hebridean Housing Partnership and Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar to meet the varying needs of the Western Isles population, with particular emphasis on the elderly.

The development delivered a 52-bed residential care home, 50 housing with extra care flats, 58 homes for social rent, and 16 Homes for sale through the shared equity scheme.

SURF is Scotland’s Regeneration Forum, promoting best practice in community regeneration. This was the 25th Anniversary of the SURF Awards and the judges’ citation said:
 

The judges were impressed by the ambition of the project, and the overall enthusiasm, collaboration and partnership approach to delivery shone through at every level. The project successfully incorporates a range of tenures, including affordable housing and provision for people with additional care needs, to create a whole new neighbourhood.

The judges reflected that the development felt settled and complete, incorporating design features which complemented the existing environment and island style. The wider community benefits achieved through procurement were also evident including shared apprenticeship schemes, improved road infrastructure and additional space for play.

The accommodation for care had been designed based on a firm foundation of research and frontline engagement. The result includes personalised spaces for the delighted residents and much improved working environments for staff, leading to healthier and happier lives and a real positive addition for the wider islands provision.

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New Certified Passive House Designer 4/12/2023Robert Potter and Partners

Andrew Northway, based in our Glasgow Office, has qualified as a Certified European Passive House Designer.

We are pleased to announce that Andrew Northway has qualified as a Certified European Passive House Designer. Congratulations on passing this challenging exam! We now have 4 in house Certified European Passive House Designers / Consultants, all certified by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt.

Andrew was involved in the recently completed Certified Passive Houses for West of Scotland Housing Association in Dalmarnock, which can be seen on the International Passivhaus Database and provided 36 homes to complete the Commonwealth Games Athletes Village masterplan.

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Building Better Healthcare Award for Goathill 1/11/2023Robert Potter and Partners

The Goathill care development has received a BBH Award for “biggest impact on patient experience and outcomes”.

We were delighted to attend the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2023 on behalf of our client Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), where the Goathill development won the Clinician’s Choice Special Award for the recently completed Goathill development.

This special award is presented to the entry across all categories that the judging panel’s clinical representative deems has had the biggest impact on the patient experience and outcomes. The judges had the mammoth task of sifting through all entries across all categories to pick those they believe have had the biggest positive impact on patients and healthcare workers.

From major hospital developments and interior design projects, to innovative software solutions and individual pieces of furniture, the judges reward the entries which best support the delivery of high-quality, modern medical services.

In this year’s judging, they described the winning entries as imaginative, inclusive, sympathetic, practical and engaging.

This Award is a great accolade for Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar and their vision of providing exemplar dementia care and extra care for the Western Isles community.

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Springfield Cross Certified Passivhaus Plaque Unveiled 31/10/2023Robert Potter and Partners

The project team unveiled the official Passivhaus plaque today for the 36 flats at Springfield Cross.

The Springfield Cross flats in Dalmarnock form one large Passivhaus, containing 36 flats. The Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt provide an official plaque for Certified Passive Houses, and this was unveiled by the Chief Executive of West of Scotland Housing Association today.

The building provides a variety of flats including 2 and 3 bedroom dwellings, and wheelchair-friendly homes with direct garden access, and the urban garden was looking good in its autumnal colours.

The detailed Passivhaus information for Springfield Cross can be seen on the International Passivhaus Database.

The Passivhaus standard ensures high quality of construction and energy performance, benefitting residents and working towards the City of Glasgow’s aspiration to be Net Zero.

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