Hardies centenary to be recognised by City of Edinburgh Council

Having already held an event at Edinburgh Castle in March to kick off its 100th Birthday Celebrations, Hardies Property & Construction Consultants, one of Scotland’s largest multi discipline surveying firms, is now looking forward to Edinburgh City Council holding a special congratulatory reception in its honour at the City Chambers on 7 November 2013.

The reception will be the culmination of Hardies celebrations which have also featured several special golf days throughout the year plus sponsorship of a table at the Annual Home Awards Dinner. Events still to come include an event at Newtongrange Miners Museum in Midlothian on 2 October 2013 and a civic reception in Dunfermline attended by the Provost of Fife.

“We are very honoured that Edinburgh City Council has chosen to hold this event for us,” said Derek Ferrier, Hardies Managing Partner, who is based at Hardies new Edinburgh Headquarters at London House, East London Street.

“We have tried to spread our celebrations out throughout the year but it is in November that the actual 100th Anniversary falls – November 1913 was when the firm was founded in Fife by John G Hardie who was a former professional footballer for Heart of Midlothian.”

“It will be a real highlight for my staff, my fellow Partners and all of our staff to have this event held in our honour at Edinburgh City Chambers. It will be another chance for us to gather with staff past and present and our many suppliers and clients over the years,” added Derek.

Hardies, a Limited Liability Partnership with seven partners, serves clients in both the private and public sectors with a complete operation in property and construction development, including property valuation, building and quantity surveying and project management. The firm also handles the leasing and sale of commercial and industrial buildings; CDM Co-ordination and the provision of Energy Performance Certificates.

Hardies now has fourteen offices in Scotland stretching from Fife, Lothian and Tayside to Glasgow, Paisley and the West. A new office in Galashiels was opened to cover the Scottish Borders several years ago. Hardies has also recently expanded into Aberdeen and in Dundee acquired WJR Christie & Partners who retain their well known trading name in Tayside. Altogether, Hardies employ eighty members of staff, with fifty eight professionally qualified in various disciplines.

Having formerly been based in Albany Street, the firm has settled well into its new Edinburgh Headquarters.

“Our bright new office space has given us greater opportunity to embrace open plan working. We have all settled well and have had good feedback from visitors to the offices,” said Derek.

Derek and his team have been busy with a new project in the Capital – carrying out Quantity Surveying work on external stonework repairs to the Headquarters of 603 (City of Edinburgh ) Squadron, RAAF. An A listed end terraced townhouse at Learmonth Terrace, the property has intricate carved stonework which, where possible, will be replicated in the repairs. Works are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Hardies are also still involved in carrying out a host of services at the Leith based project to create a new cultural centre for the people of the Himalayas from the former Dr Bells Swimming Pool building, a historic Grade B listed property. Hardies are carrying out design work together with CDM Co-ordination services; fulfilling the Project Manager role and looking after Quantity Surveying too.

For the past few months Hardies have been carrying out detailed surveys on the building, which when converted, will be eco friendly, showcasing environmental and sustainable initiatives.

Hardies were Quantity Surveyors and CDM Co-ordinators for The Morris Building in St Andrews. The brief provided by the Links Trust was to construct a commercial centre where the Trust could effectively amalgamate its retail, storage and mail order requirements into one large eco friendly, building. The building also had to include space for a demonstration area where suppliers products could be adequately displayed. Finally the completed building required to have an attractive design which blended into the existing landscape of the area. The Morris Building. The striking timber structure with Glulam timber beams has a distinctive barrel shaped roof which has been covered with Sedum which changes colour throughout the seasons. The building is naturally ventilated and has an air source heat pump to provide heating and hot water. — Hardies were Quantity Surveyors and CDM Co-ordinators for The Morris Building in St Andrews. The brief provided by the Links Trust was to construct a commercial centre where the Trust could effectively amalgamate its retail, storage and mail order requirements into one large eco friendly, building. The building also had to include space for a demonstration area where suppliers products could be adequately displayed. Finally the completed building required to have an attractive design which blended into the existing landscape of the area.
The Morris Building. The striking timber structure with Glulam timber beams has a distinctive barrel shaped roof which has been covered with Sedum which changes colour throughout the seasons. The building is naturally ventilated and has an air source heat pump to provide heating and hot water.

Hardies has always been very active in the Midlothian area and with 2013 having been a very successful year for the firm in the area so far with two awards in the affordable housing sector, it was agreed that a local event marking the Centenary be held here too.

“We have chosen the Miners Museum in Newtongrange to hold our Midlothian celebratory event,” said Derek. “We work right in the heart of the community in Midlothian with our affordable housing sector work and have played crucial roles in many of the new schools built in the area in the past decade and indeed, landmark buildings like the Penicuik Centre.”

In Dalkeith Hardies provided the key roles of Project Managers; Quantity Surveyors and CDM Co-ordinators on a 133-home development in Mayfield for Melville Housing Association which was named one of the UK’s top 50 affordable housing developments.

The £16.5 million Langlaw Road development fought off fierce competition from projects across the UK to win its place on the list drawn up by a panel of industry experts organised by Inside Housing magazine.

Langlaw Road was one of only two Scottish developments to feature on the list and the only one built by a Scottish housing association. Hardies are also working with Melville – who are long running clients – at social housing developments in Wester Cowden, Dalkeith as well as a social housing project at Schools Green, Dalkeith.

Over in Fife, having provided the roles of Quantity Surveying; Employer’s Agent and Construction Design and Management Co-ordination Services, another award came for the ground breaking Housing Innovation Showcase at Dunlin Drive, Dunfermline. The project – for Kingdom Housing Association – picked up a top award for innovation at the RICS Awards Lunch, held at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.

The Housing Innovation Showcase was the first phase of a larger scheme of 125 affordable houses and flats to be developed in 5 phases by Kingdom Housing Association at the Dunfermline Eastern Expansion location.

Said Derek Ferrier: “It was part of our 100th Birthday celebrations to host Chairman of Kingdom Housing Association – Charles Milne – at the Awards Lunch.”

Hardies has recently achieved the Gold Award –plus Commendation - in the Healthy Working Lives initiative — Hardies has recently achieved the Gold Award –plus Commendation – in the Healthy Working Lives initiative

Further details www.hardies.co.uk