Hamilton Masterplan

Woolgar Hunter was part of a multi-disciplinary team commissioned to undertake a development feasibility exercise for The University of the West of Scotland, to help inform strategic redevelopment proposals for its Hamilton campus, with the findings used to support the Outline Business Case for the proposals.

Following the University’s most recent decision to relocate the facilities to a new home on the outskirts of the town, we were engaged again to provide engineering input to a masterplanning exercise, re-evaluating the data to help consider options for the future use of the site.

Our geo-environmental engineers were heavily involved in both studies, having undertaken desktop studies followed by intrusive ground investigations. The former use of the site as an army barracks was noted, and with it, the potential existence of buried ordnance. Topography is naturally variable across the site, with the existing buildings located on constructed platforms. Testing of the made ground did not reveal significant contamination issues, either for the initial educational purposes, or for the most recent residential / mixed use purposes.

The external works design; roads and car parking were developed in conjunction with the Landscape Architect.

An integrated external design solution was developed through close coordination with the landscape and architectural proposals with the levels strategy based on minimising cut and fill and tying into the existing site levels to minimise retention structures.

External roads finishes and make-ups were specified in line with adoptable standards, in order to minimise maintenance over the lifespan of the Campus development; while strategies for an environmentally friendly SUDS solution were developed for surface water drainage and management and included porous paving to new car parking areas, and a Rainwater Harvesting incorporated in order to recycle roof run-o for the purposes of ’grey water’ toilet ushing.