Initially constructed in 1856, Trinity College, located in the Park Circus area of Glasgow, was built for the Church of Scotland and was once a training centre for religious ministers before the organisation vacated the building in 1976. The premises were repurposed and refurbished and opened as a private residential apartment block named Trinity House in 1986.

Recent adverse weather conditions have caused stonework to become loose and fall from the historic building’s facade. This resulted in a representative of the Trinity Residents Association approving Enigma Industrial Services to install scaffolding and create a safe exclusion zone around the perimeter, before necessary masonry repairs are carried out on the main building and side elevation of the tower. The erected scaffold structure surrounding the main entrance permits safe access to the building whilst protecting residents and passers-by from any potential falling debris.

The challenge for our in-house engineering team was to design an innovative self-supportive scaffold structure without fixing ties into the exterior building fabric. To eliminate any risks that could compromise the structure’s overall integrity whilst the repairs are carried out due to evident stresses with stonework.

The scaffold will eventually reach a height of 47-metres and fully surround the tower before the iconic building undergoes a complete refurbishment, including a scheme to stabilise its iconic tower by fitting permanent internal steel bracing to support the structure of the building.