ECOBuilder-Specifiers Journal spring2018

Arthurlie Family Centre, Barrhead
East Renfrewshire Council
In East Renfrewshire, Heron Bros
delivered the £4.5M Arthurlie Family
Centre located within the grounds
of the former Auchenback Primary
School. The contract involved
the construction of new single
storey building to create a family
centre, providing early education for
age 0-5 year olds with a total capacity
for 170 child spaces. Heron Bros also
provided secure outdoor play areas
and sufficient car parking and drop
off areas for parents. The project was
delivered over 43 weeks with work
beginning on-site in January 2017
and practical completion achieved in
November 2017.
The centre is designed to be an
innovative community hub that
brings together early years services
under one roof at the heart of the
Auchenback community. The centre
will increase the number of early years
places available in the area, which will
enhance the first-class integrated work
the council is doing to support young
children, parents and families. It has
been developed as part of the council’s
early years work in a partnership
between Education, Health and
Social Care and Environment. The
new Arthurlie Family Centre offers
120 morning and 120 afternoon
places for three to five-year-olds. In
addition it offers 50 part-time places
for children aged from birth to three
and provides a community space for
families. Working with children and
families from a very early age, in the
one centre, has a host of benefits to
children’s development. The building
also brings together front-line staff
from other council services and
partner organisations, such as health
visitors and social workers. There is
accommodation to enable staff to
work with parents while their child is
learning and cared for.
Arthurlie Family Centre in constructed
of a traditional timber frame with a
combination of masonry panels and
Siberian larch rainscreen cladding. The
material and colour schemes have
16 ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018