Cheryl Livingstone speaks to Gareth and Suzanne Jones about their journey to breathe new life into the former Mile End School
Gareth and Suzanne Jones are undertaking the renovation of the former Mile End School in Aberdeen and aim to preserve the original, but at the same time re-invent the space for modern-day residential living.
While they briefly considered other options, including knocking down the listed property and building new apartments or even an office block, there was only ever one outcome which would be right for the building, for the area and for Aberdeen.
It was the chance to breathe new life into this most cherished Aberdeen institution which made this a very exciting prospect.
“We felt that it was important to preserve and restore the building,” Gareth said.
Although this is their largest project to date, the couple are no strangers to the property market. Since retiring from the oil and gas industry seven years ago, they have had a portfolio of smaller renovation projects and have even restored a 500-year-old Aberdeenshire castle, which is now their home. It is clearly a passion.
“It was working in the oil and gas industry that brought us to Aberdeen in the first place and we just fell in love with the city, its granite architecture, the people and the quality of life here,” Gareth said.
The couple were introduced to the Mile End project by David Suttie and Charlie Ferrari, well-known experts in developing properties in and around Aberdeen.
“You can’t meet anyone in Aberdeen who doesn’t have fond memories of Mile End School – they went to school there or their children did – but it’s clear that it has a big place in the hearts and minds of Aberdonians,” Suzanne said.
“We have had very positive feedback since we first embarked on the project; nobody wanted to see the disused building fall into disrepair and everyone was very happy to see that the building would remain, albeit with a new purpose in life.”
To preserve the memory further, Suzanne and Gareth have decided to keep the Mile End name.
Inside, 34 luxury apartments will be created in the main building and with the renovation of the existing lodge house there will be a mix of one, two and three bedroom homes including duplexes and penthouses. The design and concept has been put together by Charlie Ferrari and aims to offer something for everyone.
One of the highlights is the size of the individual dwellings – an aspect that was important to the couple.
Gareth said: “We knew we wanted to keep the number of apartments in the development to a low number to allow for generously proportioned homes. Nothing compares to them in Aberdeen. Two-bedroom apartments in Aberdeen are around 70sq m, that would be a good average size for the city. Our one-bedroom apartments are bigger than that. Our two-bedrooms are up to 140sq m, double what you would find usually. And our three-bedroom duplexes are as large as 180sq m. The penthouses are more than 200sq m of living space. These dwellings are bigger than some houses.”
The homes, which are a mix of one, two and three bedrooms, are a blend of modern and traditional touches – from the high ceilings and picture windows in the duplexes to the open-plan living room and dining kitchen in the apartments. Bedrooms with galleries give the homes a contemporary feel, while the large windows give far-reaching views of the Aberdeen skyline. Some apartments have private gardens or balconies.
“It would suit mature people who want comfortable city living, young professionals who want the ultimate city pad and young families looking for space and good schools. There is something for everyone. That’s what’s brilliant about Charlie’s concept,” said Gareth.
“We are planning to buy some of the apartments for ourselves, but we are constantly changing our minds about which ones because they are all individual and all offer something different,” Suzanne added.
Also included on the site is the school janitor’s house, now renamed Mile End Lodge, which is being renovated and will be sold as a detached home. It will be completed in August and will become the showhome, run by Peterkins, for those wanting to view the site.
Gareth said: “Although Mile End Lodge is a different style from the other dwellings, people will be able to see the quality finishings and the standards of workmanship which will prevail in the main building.”
Bancon is the main contractor and began work at the site in February. Renovations will be completed in spring 2015. Around 10 apartments are due to be released soon.
Suzanne said interest had been strong in the development since they bought the building and they have had approaches from people living locally, nationally and internationally.
Gareth added that they were looking forward to seeing the end result and had thoroughly enjoyed the whole process.
“You won’t find anything else like this in Aberdeen. We wanted to build something that we would live in. We renovated a 500-year-old Scottish castle that we live in now and we are extending the same care and attention to detail at Mile End, so that it is somewhere that we would be happy to have our home.”
For more information, contact Peterkins, 100 Union Street, Aberdeen, on 01224 428100, or visit www.mile-end.info