Homes for Scotland Awards 2015 – Best Development – Large
The development of this site in the south of Edinburgh called for the replacement of an existing care home with housing specifically designed for older people. Dunedin Canmore placed a strong emphasis on achieving a high level of design quality which sets a precedent for their future developments.
To create a great place for residents to socialise and relax, common rooms were designed on the top floor with picture windows giving views of the city. Detailed consideration of the accessibility and useability of the housing by older people was integral to the design approach and informed by our in-house expertise in this area.
A series of double fronted units were designed to address the level changes between the site and the street. Ground floor dwellings front to the central courtyard and upper floor maisonettes front directly to Liberton Gardens. This maintains a positive street frontage to both Liberton Gardens and the new courtyard area.
The sense of community and ability to make connections with people is supported by the creation of open seating areas for chatting, with extensive shrub and tree planting and a secluded garden area used to create an attractive environment to live in.
Large windows for enhanced daylight and the use of varied brickwork helps to create a series of quality buildings which serve as both a great place to live for older people, and as an exemplar project for the client.
The development has proved very positive with residents and post occupancy feedback has been very positive. The high quality soft landscaping has been adopted and enhanced by individual residents who have taken ownership of the scheme and helped it to quickly mature into its surroundings.