Bay Street Port Glasgow

Bay Street, is a high quality, affordable housing development at the gateway to Port Glasgow in Inverclyde. Offering 13 houses, 4 cottage flats and 24 apartments, the design creates a sustainable mixed community of affordable homes with a choice of housing tenures and types.

Date

2018

Client

Cullross Ltd.

Value

£4m

Situated to the West of the Grade A listed Gourock Ropeworks Mill building, the site previously hosted a 400 yard long “Rope Walk” which remained functional until the decline of the neighbouring ropeworks company which resulted in the site being cleared in the 1980’s. Leaving a visible gap site at the gateway to Port Glasgow, the condition of the site gave a very negative impression next to a highly prominent, historically significant building.

jmarchitects gained planning consent for the development of the site to provide 41 affordable homes for Cullross and Riverclyde Homes. Our design recognises key approaches to the site and has adopted the idea of creating a strong urban edge to Bay Street, reflective of forms which previously existed on site.

A traditional approach to the roofscape combined with simple elevations of brick and render give the site an industrial aesthetic reflective of its past which integrates the buildings within the context whilst allowing the Grade A listed Mill building to stand as the focal point of Bay Street.

The Challenge

To create a housing development which is sensitive to its neighbouring Grade A listed building whilst offering affordable, sustainable homes within a mixed tenure environment.

The Solution

The design creates a housing development which takes cognisance of the sites historic past to form a modern, desirable development which meets the needs of the client whilst presenting aesthetics and massing appropriate to the context in which it resides.

The Outcome

Careful consideration of both the clients brief and planners’ aspirations for the site lead to planning consent being granted for this high density affordable housing development. Through careful selection of finishes, the modern development is tied to its industrial past and a strong urban edge re-instated to a prominent site.