Shettleston Housing Association’s transformation of Old Carntyne Church in the East End of Glasgow includes the city’s first multi-storey Passivhaus building.

The development will compete against eight other finalists in the Small Affordable Housing Development of the Year for social rent category in the Scottish Home Awards 2019.

The church, to be renamed Cunningham House after the Association’s former chief executive Chris Cunningham, was built by contractor Stewart & Shields and designed by architects Page\Park with John Gilbert Architects as Passivhaus designer.

The redevelopment saw the conversion of the original church building into 14 amenity flats, with a glazed link to the five Passivhaus certified homes in the new build five-storey tower. All 19 homes are designed and built to extremely high standards of energy efficiency, air tightness, and insulation.

Passivhaus technology reduces the loss of heat from a building, resulting in a minimal requirement for heating, with most of the heating needs covered by ‘passive’ sources such as the solar gain, the building’s appliances and its inhabitants.  For residents, this will mean a dramatic reduction in fuel bills.

Gillian Johnston, chair of Shettleston Housing Association, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of this beautiful development which has brought an important and prominent local building back into use through the creation of highly sustainable homes to meet the needs of older households in the area.”

Residents will also benefit from the Association’s Retirement Housing Service and the first tenants will move in from June. 

Winners of the Scottish Home Awards 2019 will be announced on June 13 at a black tie ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in central Glasgow.