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 been designed to create a calm, nurturing environment. Inside, the single storey family centre has seven playrooms, bright modern learning spaces and underfloor heating with level access throughout. There is a canopy outside each playroom and a door to give youngsters access to a secure garden all-year-round.

The floor slab is reinforced concrete with underfloor heating and screed throughout. Energy saving fittings are used for the lighting and there are photovoltaic solar panels mounted on the insulated standing seam roof.  Externally the playground comprises of macadam surfacing and rubberised play surfaces whilst the appearance is complemented by a sympathetic soft landscaping scheme. As a Considerate Constructor, Heron Bros dealt with the contract complexities which arise from working in a highly residential area with high pedestrian footfall, by promoting best practice on site and providing community benefits for the local area.

Heron Bros is proud to have delivered a number of education projects for East Renfrewshire Council including: Faith Schools’ Joint Campus and Crookfur PS & Nursery.