Re: high rise living

[lisaboyd86]

Hi all,

I’m a photography student in Glasgow and currently doing a documentary photography project on high rise living and regeneration in Glasgow. I have been on a few simular sites and was wondering of anyone on here could contribute.

Wondering if anyone on here could shed some light on what people’s feelings are on regeneration of many of these blocks. Do you feel that this type of regeneration is beneficial to the community and the occupants who lived there? What is it like to live in a larger than normal environment and are the common conceptions of high rise tower blocks true.

I would be interested in residents who have or are currently living in a high rise flat. Who would be interested in a short interview and or a photograph (photographs don’t need to be identifiable to the person).

Thanks,
Lisa

[RapidAssistant]

Welcome to HG )

I can't comment on living in a high rise, as I have never done so, apart from visit people who do, so I can only really state my general feelings on them as an outsider.

Emotionally, I would miss a Glasgow without its tower blocks, as I grew up with them on the skyline; and I think that is going to be a pheonomenon amongst the under-50s increasingly, and this is what is fuelling the Brutalist conservation movement which has gained momentum in recent years.

Secondly I don't think they deserved to be automatically tarred with the brush that they are all crime ridden slums - there are several perfectly good "multi" estates within the city that have been largely successful and have a secure future - Hutchesontown B and Sandyhills Park are two examples for instance spring to my mind. The latter didn't actually need a caretaker until well into the 1980s, and has only actually been fitted with secure entry within the last decade.

Compare if you will two sets of multis that were made to the same formulaic off-the-peg design - the Millerfield estate in Dalmarnock, and the Kennishead estate in the south side. The former was cynically (in some people's opinion) used as a dumping ground for the proverbial "dregs of society", and was eventually flattened - whilst the latter I've never heard any real horror stories about and has been refurbished to my knowledge. Adds weight to the notion it is PEOPLE who make a ghetto and not bad buildings.

This in turn sparks another argument, was it the people's own fault or was it bad social planning?? All the essays that have been written about the Bruce Report and the fundamental error of moving all the close knit communities out to the back and beyond to outlying estates are well known about - the planners broke up social structures and with little or no amenities and poor transport links to the centre of the city in these new estates the likely effects should have been obvious, but hindsight, as they say is a great thing.

Bad design of course rears its ugly head - there is a great essay here on Aberdeen and how they took a different approach:

http://www.leopardmag.co.uk/feats/244/aberdeen-s-tower-blocks

Here in Glasgow, with a few exceptions they took the system built option because it was cheap. But they didn't reckon on the problems of building in a cold, damp part of the world. Concrete has a high thermal conductivity meaning that the flats were stone cold in the winter, but roasting in the summer. Damp seeped into the concrete, rusting the steel wires within, causing "concrete cancer". To cut corners they put in lifts that only stopped at every second floor - thus discouraging people from actually leaving the buildings because waiting times were longer.

I could go on and on, but its the end of my lunch break...so I have gotta go!!

[kirstymaclaren]

To cut corners they put in lifts that only stopped at every second floor - thus discouraging people from actually leaving the buildings because waiting times were longer.

I thought it was meant to make it quicker as they don't stop at every floor?

[Celyn]

In the (Sighthill) multi-storey block in which I live, there are two lifts. One for odd numbered floors, and one for even numbered floors. This is so that, if one lift is out of order for some reason (and this does not actually happen at all often), then one takes the other lift and then walks up or down a floor.

Obviously the only time you find that the relevant lift is closed for maintenance is exactly the day when you have a whole load of stuff to carry, but that is just the evil gremlins of life, really. Rotten wee sods that they are . Still, the worst that can happen is dealing with one flight of stairs with your shopping and library books and stuff. Were I in a more scenic trad tenement, I'd be hauling stuff up three flights of stairs no matter what.

[Celyn]

Hi all,

I’m a photography student in Glasgow and currently doing a documentary photography project on high rise living and regeneration in Glasgow. I have been on a few simular sites and was wondering of anyone on here could contribute.

Wondering if anyone on here could shed some light on what people’s feelings are on regeneration of many of these blocks. Do you feel that this type of regeneration is beneficial to the community and the occupants who lived there? .. ,

"The regeneration of many of these blocks".

"Do you feel that this type of regeneration is beneficial to the community and the occupants who livED there..."

Eek, well my bolding looks a bit clumsy, and I'm sorry, but I do wish to be clear whether you had in mind "regeneration" of these blocks as meaning "improvement" or as meaning "demolition". You know, given your use of the past tense there.


"What is it like to live in a larger than normal environment..."

Nor sure if it's larger than normal. Do you perhaps have in mind greater population density?

Not arguing, but merely remembering (with happy fondness) an elderly bloke who used to sit just outside his block, to get some air etc,his heart (angina or something) being not too good for walking and exercise. He liked to sit there and he could chat to all who went in or out, but as to "larger than normal environment"; well, one of his fairly wise sentences was "see, people forget that even one multi-storey - it's like a whole old-fashioned tenement street, just turned vertical. And it's like a village, just turned vertical".

...and are the common conceptions of high rise tower blocks true.

Tell me about the common conceptions, then, and I might be able to respond. Or perhaps "perceptions"?
If you give me the questions, I can try to answer them.

[tobester]

I grew up in the 18stories in Broomhill, lived there from birth to 1999, my dad is still up there, hes been there since his block opened in 1967, now the longest resident....they were nice, but sadly thanks to the housing association, theyre starting to get run down...if you want my email address drop me a message, and i answer any questions you want to ask

[Mori]

A wee elaboration of High rise livin @ Plean st.

[RapidAssistant]

To cut corners they put in lifts that only stopped at every second floor - thus discouraging people from actually leaving the buildings because waiting times were longer.

I thought it was meant to make it quicker as they don't stop at every floor?

The odd/even lift arrangement was to cut building costs basically - many flats have this set-up, Sighthill has it, whilst Hutchesontown B (Waddell Court) has a system whereby the lifts stop at every second floor, but the floors are arranged in blocks of two so some flats are accessed by a staircase from the corridor (my stepgran used to live there, a LONG time ago and I still remember this). The demolished Queen Elizabeth Square development had the floors arranged in blocks of three. Anniesland Court has a system where the lift tower only serves blocks of three or four floors also.

Crazy I think the point blocks of Red Road only have one to serve 30 floors!! (can someone confirm this, I've only seen the floor plans).

Yet other developments had a no-expense spared approach to lift provision - the Townhead slab flats have three that stop at all floors, as do the Sandyhills Park flats (each block has two that serve all 22 floors), the Anderston Centre trio also have two that serve all 19 floors, plus additional ones that only serve the office floors and the underground car park.

[The Egg Man]

..............the Anderston Centre trio also have two that serve all 19 floors, plus additional ones that only serve the office floors and the underground car park.

The Anderston Centre flats have been refurbished in the last couple of years.

Does anyone know if the lifts were replaced?

[RapidAssistant]

..............the Anderston Centre trio also have two that serve all 19 floors, plus additional ones that only serve the office floors and the underground car park.

The Anderston Centre flats have been refurbished in the last couple of years.

Does anyone know if the lifts were replaced?

Semi, the last time I visited someone in there. The car interiors were replaced but the buttons and hall fixtures weren't. The Anderston Centre towers are fairly unique as they have Otis lifts with up/down collective calling on every floor - quite a posh arrangement compared to the usual el-cheapo lift installations you find in council tower blocks (i.e. odd/even floor, single panel doors, single speed hoist machine that stops dead on every floor without slowing down first etc.) Probably because the lifts also used to serve the shopping and commercial floors as well.

[pingu]

Crazy I think the point blocks of Red Road only have one to serve 30 floors!! (can someone confirm this, I've only seen the floor plans).

Red Rd had 2 lifts on each floor....both stopping at every floor

[The Egg Man]

..............the Anderston Centre trio also have two that serve all 19 floors, plus additional ones that only serve the office floors and the underground car park.

The Anderston Centre flats have been refurbished in the last couple of years.

Does anyone know if the lifts were replaced?

Semi, the last time I visited someone in there. The car interiors were replaced but the buttons and hall fixtures weren't. The Anderston Centre towers are fairly unique as they have Otis lifts with up/down collective calling on every floor - quite a posh arrangement compared to the usual el-cheapo lift installations you find in council tower blocks (i.e. odd/even floor, single panel doors, single speed hoist machine that stops dead on every floor without slowing down first etc.) Probably because the lifts also used to serve the shopping and commercial floors as well.

I spoke to someone earlier who tried to convince me the Anderston Centre flats lifts only went as high as the second from top floor as the lift mechanism shares the top floor with houses. Is he at the wind-up?

[pingu]

I spoke to someone earlier who tried to convince me the Anderston Centre flats lifts only went as high as the second from top floor as the lift mechanism shares the top floor with houses. Is he at the wind-up?

dont know about Anderston but it happens in loads of other high rises so he might be right

[The Egg Man]

Ta.

[Wyndfordboy]

As I mentioned in my previous post I stay in one of the high rise blocks in the Wyndford Estate, although this type of living may not suit everyone I was very pleasantly surprised when I viewed my flat. I stay near the top and the view alone is worth staying here for. The whole Wyndford Estate is currently undergoing re-generation seeing a brand new community heating project, building over cladding and new windows all currently underway.

Taking advantage of the good weather today I thought I'd take a few shots from my flat hope you like them.


Three of the stunning Wyndford Road flats


The Still Game block


Old Wyndford Primary school now the Wyndford Hub community centre with the Wyndford Locks housing development underway in the background.


Looking East over to the city centre.


Towards city and charing cross area.


Over to the end of the campsies I love these hills.


View over to Whiteinch and Broomhill.


This time we are looking over to Anniesland and beyond, you can even see the erskine bridge in the distance.