Katherine Street

When fire damaged the flats at Katherine Street, Livingston, 25 families were displaced from their homes. Almond Housing Association appointed McTaggart to restore them, delivering a full refurbishment of all 25 social rented flats across four closes, prioritising the return of former residents to the community they had been forced to leave.

The project involved retaining the existing structure while completely upgrading all key elements: roofs, external walls, windows, heating systems, and internal fit-out. The homes, a mix of one- to three-bedroom units, now meet modern energy performance standards, with air source heat pumps and an improved thermal envelope throughout.

Refurbishment projects carry an inherent uncertainty that new builds do not, once walls open, the true condition of the building is revealed. At Katherine Street, what was found was significant. Concrete walls were not as drawn, requiring redesign and new steel detailing across all four closes and roof zones. Internal steel lintels had failed and required full removal under temporary propping, replaced with K9 concrete lintels. Roof trusses were poorly spliced and were stripped and rebuilt using strengthened timber. Saturated concrete required specialist drying-out before internal trades could proceed. Asbestos was found in external wall build-ups and underground pipework, triggering controlled removal procedures. Utilities were not as documented , new electric mains were installed on the existing footpath, and trial digs were required to identify drainage service routes before remedial work could begin. With site access limited to the front elevation only, all materials for rear works had to be hand-carried or delivered through internal loading sequences. The stepped rear elevation required cantilevered scaffolding without wall ties. McTaggart sequenced the programme to prioritise rear construction early, and secured partial possession of car park areas to separate plant movements from occupied neighbouring properties.

McTaggart's approach prioritised a clear sequence: internal demolition to expose hidden conditions, followed by making the building fully watertight,  roof reconstruction, external walling, and window installation,  before any internal trades could begin. This drying-out phase was essential to protect future finishes and prevent further deterioration. Monthly progress meetings were held with Almond Housing Association and the full design team. Residents in neighbouring properties were kept informed through regular client-approved letter drops. The site team maintained detailed issue tracking logs and coordinated daily with subcontractors to respond to conditions uncovered during works.

The Katherine Street project generated community and social value well beyond the physical refurbishment. McTaggart partnered with six organisations, Direct Partners, Street League, Capital City Partnership, Access2Employment, Building Futures (Addiewell Prison), and Fedcap/Fair Start Livingston, to deliver a wide-ranging programme of support.

• 3 new jobs created
• 5 work-based placements provided
• 12 young people completed the Construction Training Initiative
• 30 hours of training delivered to unemployed young people
• 6 employment support events attended
• 24 hours of education and curriculum engagement
• Partnership with Building Futures (Addiewell Prison) - supporting people in custody to access construction training
• Two Scottish Construction Pathways participants progressed to pre-apprenticeship college courses
• Community orchard contribution and community garden project featured in the Daily Record

Working within the constraints of an existing structure, McTaggart delivered a meaningful sustainability uplift across the development. A steel-framed external wall system (SFS) was introduced to improve U-values across the thermal envelope, significantly reducing heat loss compared to the building's original condition. Air source heat pumps were installed throughout the scheme, replacing the previous heating system and delivering lower running costs for residents. For a refurbishment of fire-damaged social housing, these improvements represent a genuine step change - turning damaged properties into modern, energy-efficient homes.

The added value on Katherine Street runs through every aspect of the project. McTaggart resolved a series of significant hidden structural failures, failed lintels, poorly spliced roof trusses, non-compliant concrete, all discovered during works and all resolved without stopping the programme. Air source heat pumps and an improved thermal envelope were introduced as part of the refurbishment, delivering a lasting reduction in energy costs for residents. These improvements go beyond the minimum required for a refurbishment project. McTaggart partnered with six community organisations to deliver employment, training, and skills support entirely outside the contract scope,  including a partnership with Building Futures at Addiewell Prison, and support for a community garden project featured in the Daily Record. None of this was contractually required.