Meldrum Construction proposed this development to Riverside Housing alongside JDDK Architects to turn a historically significant abandoned school building into affordable housing. Not only did this fit in with of Riversides affordable housing partnership with Homes England, but this type of local investment creates lasting positive change and enriches the lives of those in our community, aligning with our own values and promise to make a difference locally; a truly fulfilling partnership build.

Dunston Hill development is built on site that formerly housed a school that sat vacant for years but was cherished in the community; therefore, we made sure to incorporate the rich history into the exciting new designs, with salvaged signage repurposed and displayed across the site.

The development on ‘Old School Road’ was named by the community to pay tribute to the building that once stood and now consists of 35 modern homes, offering a mix of two and three-bedroom layouts, with a few four-bedroom townhouses.

A site of this ilk required working on two opposing build route streams (1-14 and 35-29), we were able to achieve a build rate of 2 per week.

Community: With the area’s rich history, we sought to honour its legacy by actively involving the community, including former attendees of the beloved school.

• Hosted a naming competition, allowing local residents to contribute to the area’s identity

• Created past, present and future boards to make this possible we:-

o Took photo submissions from the public in and around the area to celebrate its heritage, used on the ‘past’ board

o Organised a drawing competition at the local school, transforming the winning designs into the ‘present’ board

o Mocked up CGI’s of what the development would look like for the future boar,d which gave the community a clear vision for the area