Glasgow office block transformed into 92 boutique flats featuring fitness suite, garden terrace and petanque 'boulodrome'

The first residents are poised to move into more than 90 flats housed in a converted office block in the centre of Glasgow amid soaring demand for private rental accommodation in the city.

Dalian House, once a landmark 64,000-square-foot office building that hosted NHS Scotland, has been revitalised as a 92-apartment “boutique” build-to-rent community. Developers said the building now offered “modern, high-quality living spaces designed to meet the needs of today’s renters”.

The building - situated in a prime location on the corner of St Vincent Street and North Street in the Charing Cross neighbourhood of the city - was originally named as a nod to one of Glasgow’s international twin cities, Dalian in north-western China. Having dropped the House part of the office building name, Dalian now features a variety of apartments, ranging from studios to larger three-bedroom units. A show flat is open now for viewings, with the first cohort of residents due to move in from August.

A show flat at the Dalian development in the Charing Cross neighbourhood of Glasgow is open for viewings, with the first cohort of residents due to move in from August.

Residents can also take advantage of a variety of communal amenity spaces including a state-of-the-art fitness suite, lounge and co-working space, a garden terrace, private dining area and even a boulodrome area for games of petanque.

The development has been delivered by Maven Capital Partners in partnership with developer Calmont Group. The building and its residents will be managed by VervLife.

Maven partner Paul Johnston said: “The city needs more high-quality, professionally managed accommodation and this community will serve that need with its contemporary design, fantastic amenities and a convenient, culture-forward location.”

Graham Brooker, director at Calmont Group, said: “Dalian House had lain unoccupied since 2010 and we quickly saw the opportunity to re-purpose it into what is now one of Glasgow’s best places to live, work and play. Converting and regenerating a building in this way is the most environmentally friendly and sustainable means of construction, and residents of Dalian will live in a building that boasts some of the best ESG [environmental, social and governance] credentials of any place to live in the city.”

Formerly known as Dalian House, the building has been transformed to offer modern, high-quality living spaces.

Katherine Rose, managing director at VervLife, added: “Glasgow is an exciting rental market and like many cities across the UK has a significant undersupply of all types of homes, particularly well-managed rental accommodation. Our approach to operations will make this wonderfully designed building an even more convenient, resident and community focused place to live. We’re proud to be operating in Scotland and supporting the drive to deliver more Scottish homes alongside our partners at Maven and Calmont.”

The latest efforts to provide more properties to rent come amid a build-to-rent (BTR) property boom in Scotland’s two largest cities and as many people find themselves priced out of the mortgage market. Edinburgh and Glasgow’s BTR property markets are set for significant growth, with thousands more homes in the offing.

Research in 2022 showed that the Edinburgh pipeline extended to 3,500 new BTR homes, while Glasgow’s development pipeline would create a further 2,800 homes as the city continued to benefit from “sustained inward investment” on the back of 2021’s COP26 summit.

Edinburgh is forecast to see a 6 per cent increase in its population by 2030, equating to an additional 30,000 people. This will put further pressures on housing delivery in what is already a restricted and highly competitive land market.

Property experts believe that Glasgow will become a BTR hotspot due to its favourable demographics, positive economic conditions and a shortage of high-quality city centre accommodation.

Last November, Scotland’s largest build-to-rent development completed offering nearly 500 “much-needed” homes overlooking the River Clyde. The landmark Platform scheme became one of Glasgow’s tallest buildings at 20 storeys, with the full development set across four blocks providing a selection of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

The scheme, located between the city’s International Financial Services District and Finnieston, was constructed by Graham and funded by Platform’s joint venture partnership with Northwood Investors. The development offers its residents “extensive amenities” including a state-of-the-art gym, landscaped courtyard, two roof terraces, private dining room, cinema room and co-working facilities all included in the monthly rental rates.

Last month, Citra Living, part of Lloyds Banking Group, said it would be bringing 87 new homes to the rental market in Edinburgh following its latest deal with Barratt Developments. Citra has acquired 66 apartments and 21 colony-style houses from the housebuilding giant at its Heron Bank scheme in the north of the city. The deal sees Citra take on a range of one, two and three-bed homes at the 115-home development which is nearing completion in the Bonnington area.

Heron Bank is located on South Fort Street near the Water of Leith on the site of a disused steel works and builder’s yard. The former brownfield site is less than two miles from Edinburgh city centre. Citra said the new homes were located just a short walk to the many shops, cafes and restaurants of Leith and the open spaces of a number of local parks, including the Royal Botanic Garden.

Andy Hutchinson, chief executive of Citra Living, said: “Our focus continues to be bringing forward high quality new homes and delivering a positive rental experience in places where people want to live. Brownfield regeneration has a huge part to play in the UK’s housing mix, and this scheme highlights how new life can be breathed into a disused site to grow the residential offering in what is already a thriving and well-connected area.”

500 Glasgow flats with riverside views up for rent as Scotland's tallest property project completes