On August 24, VASO Global, a construction innovation company headquartered in Dumfries, announced that its recycled glass building system has received planning permission from Dumfries and Galloway Council to build four affordable homes, complete with home office spaces and guest bedrooms, on a brownfield site in Closeburn. The project is the world's first residential development to adopt this technology.
VASO Global's technology converts waste glass into high-performance structural composite panels. The panels are digitally designed and integrally manufactured at the company's 60,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Dumfries, then delivered flat-packed to site for assembly. The company employs a semi-autonomous construction approach that can significantly reduce build times compared to traditional methods—in an upcoming project in Scotland, it is expected to cut the construction period from 33 weeks to 10 weeks. The recycled glass panels offer excellent insulation properties, keeping homes cool in summer and warm in winter, which can substantially reduce residents' cooling and heating energy consumption.
Eddie Black, CEO and co-founder of VASO Global, said: "VASO Global has been refined over three years, and Closeburn marks the first deployment of this solution across multiple developments worldwide. We are incredibly proud that a product made in Scotland is beginning its journey from home soil." He added that VASO's thermally efficient, affordable housing solutions can be delivered quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively, creating high-quality living environments for residents.
The Closeburn project is being delivered in partnership between Nith Valley Leaf Trust, South of Scotland Community Housing, and VASO Global. South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) commissioned the feasibility study for the site. The project aims to provide local residents with thermally comfortable, safe, affordable rental homes with low heating and cooling costs. Mike Steele of Nith Valley Leaf Trust said that following planning approval, the team will progress financing, land acquisition, and work with partners to build these modern homes. Mike Staples, CEO of South of Scotland Community Housing, said: "It is exciting to collaborate with VASO Global, SOSE, the community, and other key partners, and we look forward to advancing the project to the site construction phase." Jane Morrison-Ross, CEO of SOSE, said: "SOSE is delighted to work with VASO Global, an innovative company exactly the kind we want to partner with—collaboration that can unlock solutions benefiting not just the south of Scotland, but the whole of the UK and beyond."
VASO Global completed a funding round of over £5 million in June 2026, with investors including PXN Ventures (£1.4 million seed investment), Scottish Enterprise (£621,000), Innovate UK Loans (£2 million loan), and Eco Group (£800,000). Earlier, in February 2026, the company had received £330,000 in funding from SOSE for commercialisation. This funding round will be used for process development at the new manufacturing facility in Dumfries. VASO Global had previously received technical reports and expert support from Professor Sean Smith of the University of Edinburgh, funded under the UKRI Net Zero High-Density Buildings Centre. Tom Croy, Investment Director at PXN Ventures, said that VASO Global's recycled composite panels enable construction far faster than traditional methods, and the company expects to reduce build time from 33 weeks to 10 weeks on an upcoming project in Scotland.