At Taylor and Fraser, we respect the past and build for the future. As a leading contractor within the mechanical and electrical construction industry we have delivered projects across Scotland for over 100 years. We are specialists in refurbishing and restoring historic buildings, which have centuries of history behind them.

Restoring historic buildings can be very rewarding. We have pride in maintaining some of the country’s most iconic buildings and restoring them to keep them at their very best for years to come. However, there can often be unique challenges surrounding these restoration projects, particularly in the case of old buildings which may be hiding a plethora of issues. In most cases, unexpected discoveries will not be found until the strip-out process at the early stages of the project. It is therefore essential that we stay flexible to allow for any unexpected problems and adaptable to be equipped to handle them as well as possible. We have learned from our extensive experience of working with these buildings that problems may only present themselves once the project begins, which is why our team have the skills and resources required to work through these.

Throughout our history, we have uncovered many unexpected issues when working on historic buildings. One of which was during our work on New Cumnock Town Hall. The derelict and dilapidated Grade B listed building, built in 1888, required a sensitive approach to work. It was in need of careful demolition of ad-hoc extensions and major external and internal work. During the early stages of the project, Taylor and Fraser uncovered that the west gable was in danger of collapsing. After a thorough review, we carried out a major stabilisation exercise to allow for the installation of DPM and waterproofing measures. The full exterior of the building was successfully conserved and restored including the infilling of redundant openings using traditional stone. The £1.57m project returned the building to its original state whilst incorporating measures to ensure it is durable for long-term future use. You can read more about the New Cumnock Town Hall project here.

Our work on listed, historic buildings always adapts a unique approach, innovative solutions, a highly flexible stance and proactive management, all whilst respecting the heritage of the building. Taylor and Fraser understand the unique needs of these buildings and adopt a strict conservation approach whilst integrating modern services into the fabric of historic buildings.

Find out more about our restoration and regeneration work here.