UBC build new south wing at Glenmore Lodge

The new south wing at Glenmore Lodge is for a new client, Sportscotland and was a competitive tender with a value of £957.000 based on a 26 week contract period.

Before the new facility could commence we had the task of demolishing the old south wing which was single storey building comprising of 8 bedrooms with communal showers and toilets all timber construction with concrete slab and metal profile roof. The demolition took longer than anticipated due to the heavily reinforced foundations that had not been identified at tender stage.

The mountain rescue team also have a helicopter landing pad adjacent to the site and when in use works had to be suspended, fortunately there were only 4 occasions when this happened.

The new south wing, which is set at a 1400 ft radii and 42 lm long is built on traditional concrete strip foundations, blockwork underbuilding, suspended timber ground and first floors incorporating Lewis sheeting, insulation and concrete screed. Internal timber kit construction with timber trusses supporting a standing seam aluminium roof.

There are 16 bedrooms including 2 with disabled facilities and all rooms are en-suite. There are 2 meeting rooms with balconies at the south end of the building overlooking the Cairngorm Mountains with an independent toilet for each room.

There is a high standard of finishings to all the rooms with varnished timber reveals to all the windows in all the rooms and corridors, windows in the rooms are full height and 2.7m wide. In the corridors, again the windows are full height and 1.8m wide. The walls to the showers have a high quality granite effect respotex panel finish with vanity unit large mirror.

Access to the new south wing is from the existing corridor to a lobby leading to a stair to the first floor, the stair is pre-cast concrete with Bison slabs and screed. There is an escape stair at the south end of the building of the same construction.

The mains power, alarms, BT, tanoy, computer and tv facilities are connected to the main controls in the existing building through a new switch room on the ground floor, off the existing corridor.

The heating is provided by under floor heating in the screeds, controlled by four manifolds two on each floor in the corridors off the two stairs. The existing boiler room was upgraded to accommodate the increased load for the hot water and the under floor heating.

The new building blends in well with the existing surroundings, the west elevation has full height windows 5.5m high and 2.7m wide, this elevation is finished with lining boards, vertical above the window and horizontal in all other locations. The south end of this elevation where the meeting rooms and balconies are located, has a full height granite wall which again blends in well with the Cairngorms in the background.

The east side of the building where the corridors are situated again has full height windows 1.8m wide, between the windows the panels are wet dash and again above the windows there are the vertical lining boards.

The storm and foul drainage are an extension of the existing system.

Landscaping is minimal; topsoil stored on site was regarded to the existing contours and seeded.

As a result of the additional works the contract was extended and handed over on 1^st February to an extremely delighted client.