Social Enterprise Clydebank

This new-build facility in Clydebank was developed for a local social enterprise that had outgrown its existing accommodation. The brief brought together office space, storage, training facilities and semi-industrial warehouse-style accommodation within a single building, providing a more practical base for the organisation’s day-to-day activities and future growth.

MAST worked closely with the client throughout the development of the brief, including supporting the project in relation to funding requirements associated with the Big Lottery Fund. This helped shape a building that balanced operational needs with the wider social and environmental ambitions of the organisation.

The building was intended to have a clear identity within its predominantly industrial setting. A restrained palette of facing brick, fibre-cement panels and untreated Scottish larch creates a considered architectural character while remaining robust and appropriate to the practical nature of the accommodation.

Internally, the layout brings together office, training, storage and workshop-style spaces, with clear relationships between the different uses. This allows the building to support a range of activities while maintaining the servicing, access and durability required by the more industrial elements of the brief.

Sustainability was considered from the outset, with opportunities explored to improve energy efficiency and reduce long-term running costs through the building fabric, material selection and servicing strategy.  The completed facility provides a flexible base that reflected the organisation’s mix of training, enterprise and operational activity while giving it room to develop over time.