The acute dearth of building plots within Edinburgh convinced our clients to purchase a 1960s house and demolish it for the sake of the substantial garden. Our design develops the idea of the monopitch back-lit section first tried at Abbotsford Park and later developed at Milldale in Aberdeenshire. The plot is rectangular, falls three metres from one end of the site to the other, and is surrounded by a substantial coniferous hedge. From an upper level it is possible to see Edinburgh Castle to the east.
Our design maximizes the garden area and south-facing characteristics by placing accommodation along the whole north edge of the site. At the heart of the house, the kitchen/dining areas occupy a 1.5 storey space in the middle of a section which develops from single-storey bedrooms to the west, to a living room and terrace placed above a garage to the east. From the terrace it will be possible to view the castle. Top-lit circulation is placed along the northern edge of the plan and acts as a 'background of light' to each of the main spaces. All windows, clerestories and roof lighting are fully shuttered and the structure is a hybrid of steel frame and load-bearing brick.
The project has been abandoned.
| Architects | Richard Murphy, Matt Bremner, David Stronge |
| Construction Cost | £450,000 |
| Client | Private clients |