Queens Quay, Clydebank is an exciting new business and residential development in Scotland.

The impressive 23 hectares of waterside regeneration is found on a site formerly occupied by John Brown Shipyard. It includes office space, houses, health and leisure facilities, as well as retail and food and drink elements. There are also parks and walkways and cycleways with access to the nearby Clybebank town centre and railway station.

However, what really makes this development stand out is the innovative heating system that is now live at the site.

The District Heating Network is the first large-scale water source heat pump scheme of its kind in Scotland and will transform the way homes, businesses and public buildings in Clydebank are heated. It includes 5km of below-ground pipework

An Energy Centre has been built as part of the £20 million project, which houses the gas boilers, pressurisation units and distribution pumps as well as the control and management system. Heat is generated from water which is extracted from the River Clyde.

The Energy Centre building was designed by Cooper Cromar Architects and built by Muir Construction, with the heat producing plant designed and installed by Vital Energi.

James & Taylor, a specialist in cladding and façade engineering, was commissioned to work on the project and the company approached us to provide expanded metal cladding for the building. James & Taylor asked us to provide a bespoke mesh that would complement Clydebank’s landmark features, including the River Clyde and the Titan Crane – the world’s first electrically powered cantilever crane, which at the time it was built, was the largest in the world at 150 ft high.

In response to this we delivered a large, raised aluminium mesh that would clad the building, including its distinctive 30m high chimney, and introduce reflective and shimmering elements to the architecture.

The Energy Centre was designed to inspire and excite, and draw attention to the innovative solution offered by the district heating network, which will provide heating to homes and businesses at Queens Quay – and in the future, to sites in the Clydebank town centre.

Our raised aluminium range is popular for creating statement cladding on buildings. Similar meshes to the one we designed for this project include our Aachen large raised aluminium mesh and our New York, large mesh which was used to clad New York’s New Museum.

You can explore more information on our architectural range here and we welcome enquiries to discuss how our bespoke metal mesh can make your project stand out.