Architect drafted in to rethink Scottish police estate post-covid

A Newcastle-based architecture practice has been chosen to design a post-covid workspace for the Scottish police.

GT3 Architects will create a pilot workspace at Police Scotland’s Dalmarnock building in Glasgow, which is responsible for the force’s operations across the west of Scotland.

In a contract award notice, the police said the decision was part of a strategy first made public in 2019 but which had increased in importance following the covid-19 crisis.

It added: “A key component of this strategy is how ‘smarter working’ and flexible working practices can be incorporated and adopted across the estate to create modern working environments that contribute to the wellbeing of our people; improving morale; generating more efficient use of space allowing greater collaborative working; rationalisation of the Estate and potential generation of revenue/capital savings.

“This is particularly relevant in a post-covid-19 climate and how workspaces now need to be designed for enhanced wellbeing of our officers and staff, as well as efficiency and effectiveness.”

GT3 will carry out a capacity and utilisation study, taking into account the impacts of covid-19.

The architect is required to deliver the pilot within a six month-period during the first year of the contract with a decision on whether to progress it further due to be taken in the second year.

The Dalmarnock building, which opened in 2015, was built by Morgan Sindall and cost £24m.