Celebrating £1bn of projects with Andy Tunaley

Andy has worked with SCAPE partners in Scotland since its early days, watching the framework grow from a new route to market into a trusted delivery partner for public sector projects. To celebrate his significant milestone, Andy joins us to look back and highlight three of his favourite SCAPE projects and what made them so important.

Starting at the very beginning, Andy’s first ever SCAPE project was The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre in Aberfoyle for the Foresty Commission Scotland. Then known as David Marshall Lodge, the centre was part of a wider refurbishment programme at two visitor centres to improve the customer experience and reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Its remote location made logistics more challenging, but the SCAPE process helped keep the project moving. With fees agreed upfront, ready-made delivery agreements and a clear, compliant route through procurement, the team could focus less on process and more on designing and delivering the right solution for the client. Andy’s words at the time still mirror his view today: “The SCAPE Framework is a fantastic process; it’s all about teamwork and working together for a shared goal.”

The project was completed on time and on budget, receiving positive feedback from visitors and keeping 93% of project spend within the local community. The Lodge was awarded a five-star rating from Visit Scotland and a Gold Award for Green Tourism.

It’s hard to choose a favourite project but Allander Leisure Centre stands out for Andy as his first project with McLaughlin & Harvey for East Dunbartonshire Council. The project combined a leisure centre and an adult day care centre facilities in one location, giving the community’s facilities a much-needed upgrade.

The opportunity at Allander came about after the project had previously stalled under another procurement route due to affordability issues. Andy and the McLaughlin & Harvey team were then invited to review the existing proposals, provide alternatives and find a more deliverable way forward.

Working alongside the initial design team and bringing in their own consultant design team to develop alternative solutions together, McLaughlin & Harvey delivered a detailed feasibility report to value engineer the design proposals into a more cost-effective alternative. Their knowledge and experience, especially with regards to designing to budget, turned a scheme that was unviable into something very achievable.

Completed in 2023, the project delivered strong social and local economic impact, supporting 182 local jobs, creating 28 placements, engaging 692 students and generating a combined Social and Local Economic Value of £3,541,530.

For Andy, Corbiewood Primary School is another standout first: the first SCAPE Scotland project for Stirling Council to reach construction stage.

The ongoing project will deliver the first new school in the Stirling Council area for 30 years. Due for completion in late summer 2026, the seven-classroom primary school will support local population growth and sit at the heart of the emerging South Stirling Gateway housing development.

It’s a project that shows how learning from one project can strengthen the next. Drawing on experience from an earlier scheme for the same client, Andy and the McLaughlin & Harvey team were able to identify key priorities early, particularly around energy performance and carbon reduction, and build them into the design and budget from the start.

Corbiewood Primary School also marks Andy’s first scheme involving Section 75 funding (provided by Persimmon Homes as part of the wider 800-home development). By working closely with both Persimmon Homes and Stirling Council, Andy and the team have helped shape a solution that balances the needs of the council, the developer and the future community.

Partnership and collaboration are essential to SCAPE Scotland, allowing us to deliver built environment projects that create lasting value for clients and communities across Scotland.

Andy’s commitment to the SCAPE frameworks has played a key role in our shared success, helping SCAPE Scotland and McLaughlin & Harvey deliver meaningful projects, build strong relationships and create long-term legacies together.

Thank you, Andy, for all your hard work!