Property Development
Sustainability, Innovations and Initiatives
Sustainability
We constantly strive to develop Margaret Blackwood homes in a sustainable manner, using environmentally sensitive and energy efficient products and locally sourced materials. Sustainability is incorporated into our building designs: designing in keeping with the surrounding environment, orientating homes to maximise solar gain and creating sheltered courtyard developments.
Expandable Homes
| This is an innovation that is currently being incorporated into our house design. Our most recent development at Gallowshade Road in Forfar includes two cottages initially designed as three person, two bedroom homes at ground floor level. Due to the roof truss design they can be easily converted to form five person, three bedroom houses with larger living rooms/dining areas and additional toilet/shower rooms. This is possible by incorporating the ground floor single bedroom into the existing living room/dining area and converting the ground floor cupboard into a stair to form two bedrooms and a toilet/shower room in the roof space. | | 
| These expandable cottages were designed to respond to the changing needs of rural communities where overcrowding due to family expansion has created a constant source of need for rural housing, as the prospect of transferring to a larger home is remote.
Smart Technology
MBHA currently utilise Smart Technology systems in several of its homes. Our development at High Mair, Renfrew, features a ‘Lifeline’ system that allows tenants in all ground floor homes to communicate with remote staff through a 2-way voice control or button operated pendant. The system has a flood detector, fall detector and can monitor the fire alarm and movements around the house, for example by checking windows and doors being opened. Broom Court's Respite House is installed with a smart system that includes movement sensors, door and window sensors and furniture occupancy detectors in key areas of the house. This system is currently used for logging purposes only but will be fully implemented in the near future. Additionally, our development at Gourdie Place, Dundee has one fully functioning smart home. It is fitted with several remote control functions, including automatic door and window openers throughout, bedroom to bathroom track and hoist, automatically adjustable bathroom sink, kitchen work surfaces, kitchen sink and hob, all which can be raised and lowered to suit different household members. Gallowshade Road, Forfar and Kirkton Road, Arbroath have smart wiring installed allowing homes to be adapted with assistive technologies for more independent living in future.
Volume Procurement
MBHA formed a partnership with Grampian Housing Association and the Moray Housing Partnership to procure 75 houses in two sites in Elgin. Using the same contractor and design team to carry out all the work, the project has been highly successful in achieving high quality housing at low subsidy levels.
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