Mixed Use Re-development of an Abandoned Building, Falkland, Fife

This late19th Century building was originally a temperance hotel and later on became a masonic lodge. It had been used as offices and storage by a building firm but was effectively abandoned when my client bought it in 2018. Parts of the interior were beyond repair and the roof was in need of immediate attention. 

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The building stands at a crossroads where traffic enters Falkland village and its continued decline would be an eyesore, as well as a lost opportunity. The client for this project was the local pharmacy, who's original premises in the village was too small and did not have convenient parking for staff and customers. The building was larger than necessary for the pharmacy, so it was decided to develop the first floor and the roof space as flats. 

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The ground floor houses the pharmacy and also a separate office for rent. The first floor and the roof were converted into three flats. Creating a mixed use property is challenging in any situation, the building regulations require increase fire and acoustic separation between the different parts of the building. 

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The planning application process was complicated by the fact a workshop, classified for light industrial use, was immediately next to the site. The planners needed the design of the flats to be such that noise from this workshop would be below the threshold where the occupants would complain to Fife Council. I engaged the services of RMP, an acoustic consultancy from Edinburgh, who helped us design a response to this requirement. The windows are specially acoustic rated models and they do not have trickle vents, as these would allow noise into the flats. 

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To provide background ventilation, with the windows shut and no trickle vents allowed, each flat has a mechanical air supply and extraction system to ensure the air quality meets the building regulations, while limiting noise entering the property. 

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The pharmacy is now well established as an important part of life in Falkland village. The additional office on the ground floor has added to the commercial space in the locality and the flats are currently available for short term let, which encourages tourism, a major part of the local economy. 

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Now that the building is in constant use, by a variety of different occupants, its future is secure.

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You can read more about the story of this old building, and see photos and drawings, in the blog post.