Gardyne's Land, Dundee - Dundee City Council - Royal Town Planning Institute

Gardyne's Land, Dundee - Dundee City Council

27-Jan-10

Heritage Award Winner 2009

Sponsored by English Heritage

Summary

Gardyne’s Land is a complex of five historic buildings situated within an outstanding conservation area in the centre of Dundee. The commitment over many years by the Tayside Building Preservation Trust demonstrates how the sustained leadership of a small number of individuals can be key to the success of a project.

Background

The earliest part of Gardyne’s Land comprises a merchant’s house built around 1560. It is the only complete domestic building surviving from the time when Dundee was Scotland’s second city and is one of only a few recognisably ancient urban buildings left in Scotland. All the buildings are listed Category A by Historic Scotland. By the early 1990s, the buildings were in a poor condition. As the buildings were structurally interrelated with shared access, a small overall footprint and restoration was constrained by adjoining developments; all of which limited the scope for commercial investment in their future.

Project Description

In 1991 Dundee City Council became concerned about the buildings and in 1995 Tayside Building Preservation Trust, with financial support from the Architectural Heritage Fund and Scottish Enterprise Tayside, undertook a feasibility study into the scope for preservation and re-use. The Trust purchased the complex in 1999 and undertook the urgent works 2002. The project was handed over to Dundee City Council who, with the Trust acting as advisors, managed the project through to successful completion in 2008. Any end use would not only have to retain and enhance the significance of the buildings but embrace economic regeneration, community involvement, education and public access. In the end, conversion to a youth hostel was seen as the best use that met all the criteria and a 90-bed Hoppo back-packers’ hostel opened in May 2008. It provides a facility formerly lacking in the city. The total project costs for the work are estimated at just over £4m.

Planning Achievements

The underlying philosophy behind the restoration has been to conserve as found, reflecting the fascinating layering of history and building styles and methods found on the site. The project has preserved a complex of buildings at risk and brought them back into use.
A novel element of the restoration process has been the involvement of students from Dundee University’s postgraduate programme on European Urban Conservation. They made a significant contribution to the work of the Trust and in return gained valuable practical experience;
The project encouraged and attracted interest from the local community, with many visiting the works through the annual Doors Open Day. One room has been restored as a library/research facility where the public can learn about the building’s history, construction and its relationship with the city;
Dundee City Planning Department supported the restoration of Gardyne’s Land at every stage and worked closely with the Trust in ensuring that the proposals were consistent with the local plan and in pre-application discussions;
The project represents an excellent example of partnership working. The sustained leadership of a small number of individuals has been key to the success of the project. The tenacity with which they pursued the project, sought funding from an array of sources and overcame legal and technical obstacles over such a long period, serves as a model for other heritage schemes.

Representatives from Dundee City Council receiving their award for Heritage from Ann Skippers, President of the RTPI, and awards host Justin Webb.

Key Participants

Dundee City Council, Tayside Building Preservation Trust, Simpson Brown Architects, Keillor Lawrie Martin, Waterman Group, N G Bailey, W H Brown Construction, Laing Traditional Masonry Ltd and Hoppo Backpackers' Hostels.