GHA’s Bell Street development wins yet another design award

Glasgow Housing Association’s (GHA) transformation of a former stable block into 52 affordable homes has picked up another award. The Bell Street development in Glasgow’s Merchant City was awarded the Saltire Medal for Housing Design.

The Saltire Society Housing Design Awards, supported by the Scottish Government, celebrate the diversity of the best in new housing in Scotland and recognise the contribution housing makes to social and cultural conversations.

Judges commended Bell Street – designed by Collective Architecture and built by CCG – for “its innate confidence to make its residents a real engine in its continuing transformation”.

The Bell Street development opened in 2019 and the mid-market rent homes are let and managed by Lowther, GHA’s partners in Wheatley Group.

Lindsay Lauder, Wheatley’s Director of Development and Regeneration, said: “This prestigious award is testament to the brilliant and innovative work from our team and partners on this conversion.

“Creating 52 fantastic new homes while preserving the important heritage of the building has been a major achievement and I’m delighted the Saltire Society recognises that.”

Bell Street has picked up multiple awards over the past two years, including:

• Glasgow Institute of Architects’ Special Award for Conservation in 2019
• Renovation of the Year at Scottish Home Awards in 2020 
• Affordable Housing Winner at the Scottish Design Awards 2020
• Conservation and Climate Change Award at the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Awards in 2021
• Renovation and Conversion of the year at the Herald Property Awards in 2021

The Victorian stable block in Bell Street, built in the late 19th century, was home to working horses for Glasgow City Council’s Cleansing Department, and latterly Police Horses.

Before the conversion, it had been vacant and derelict for several years and was on the ‘Buildings at Risk’ register.