Provision of temporary access using independent tube & fitting scaffolding, erected to support the main contractor, Insite Group, in carrying out façade stonework repairs to a city-centre building.

West George Street emerged in the late eighteenth century as part of Glasgow’s planned grid-style expansion into its ‘Third New Town’, which was designed to create a fashionable residential district lined with elegant Georgian terraces. These properties were typically constructed in ashlar-dressed stone and reflected neoclassical influences, catering to prosperous merchants and professionals. Over time, the street’s residential character gradually transitioned to commercial use.

180 West George Street is a Grade A landmark headquarters building that provides contemporary, open-plan office accommodation arranged on a multi-let basis. It features an impressive triple-height atrium and reception area. The building occupies a prominent position on the north side of West George Street, between the junctions with Hope Street and Wellington Street.

To support the main contractor, Insite Group, with refurbishment works to repair the stonework façade at a Grade A office building located within Glasgow’s business district, Enigma erected a physically tied, nine-lift-high independent tube-and-fitting scaffold to the front elevation of the building. The scaffold incorporated double guardrails at boarded lifts and single guardrails at non-boarded lifts.

Throughout the duration of the works, the building remained operational; therefore, a 7.71-metre-wide bridge was installed across the main entrance at lift one. This minimised disruption to the businesses located within 180 West George Street by enabling unobstructed access and egress for visitors entering the main entrance below.

West George Street, in the heart of Glasgow’s Central Business District, is lined with impressive and iconic architectural buildings that provide premium office accommodation for major legal, financial, and professional institutions. As a result, street parking is limited to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. This absence of any suitable laydown area for equipment storage meant that all logistical deliveries were meticulously planned, and the scaffold structure was erected and dismantled in a single operation.

Enigma’s operational team worked closely with representatives from Insite Group to develop a detailed planning schedule to highlight potential coordination issues before mobilisation on-site. This collaborative approach ensured that potential challenges were addressed in advance, reducing the risk of delays once work commenced.

Due to limited on-site storage capacity for materials, Enigma’s Glasgow depot, located in the Port Dundas area, worked in close coordination with the client-facing operational team to organise scaffold equipment deliveries. The on-site scaffolding team also played a crucial role by providing tailored instructions for material deliveries and collections, based on their progress with erecting and dismantling the structure in a single operation. This approach helped minimise disruption to vehicle traffic, pedestrians, and visitors to 180 West George Street and the surrounding buildings.