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Listed cottages make way for further Edinburgh student housing

June 9 2015

Listed cottages make way for further Edinburgh student housing
Kenneth Reid Architects have submitted plans on behalf of 83S Ltd to erect a 141 bed student residential development at Gilmerton Road, Edinburgh.

Arranged around a central courtyard the accommodation of colour and varying surface treatments to aid navigation and inject visual interest with unspecified materials of the ‘highest quality’.

In a design statement the architects noted: “The building is interesting to look at and to move around inside with key focal points expressed in all facades, the principal entrance is off one of the key courtyards and is clearly displayed.

“The upper south facing courtyard podium deck is a key central internal point that is fully glazed and west facing to attract maximum natural daylight. Views from the wings are maximised at all times and overlooking a safe garden landscape.”

This work will necessitate the demolition of two C-listed cottages which were deemed not to be of ‘special interest’.
Colour will be used to aid wayfinding
Colour will be used to aid wayfinding
Two listed cottages, the last remains of the former hamlet of Nether Liberton, will be demolished
Two listed cottages, the last remains of the former hamlet of Nether Liberton, will be demolished

7 Comments

Jon
#1 Posted by Jon on 9 Jun 2015 at 19:10 PM
Where is BigChantelle when you need (him/her?) - would be inclined to agree with the usual rants condemning bland white modern whatever over retaining an existing building...
Big Chantelle
#2 Posted by Big Chantelle on 9 Jun 2015 at 19:40 PM
The Concrete modernist brigade strike again, intent on destroying anything with any historic merit!
james
#3 Posted by james on 10 Jun 2015 at 08:53 AM
'Based in Edinburgh for over 20 years, Kenneth Reid Architects is a firm of highly talented and dedicated design architects.

Our versitile abilities has allowed us to carry out commissions in almost all buildings sectors.'

Never mind the bollocks, it looks to me as if the 15m single means travel distance on the 2nd floor of the Liberton Road block doesn't work. It's non-existent.

'Versitile', ken.
SJF
#4 Posted by SJF on 11 Jun 2015 at 03:21 AM
If the listing system can't protect the "last remains", what is the point in it!?!?!?!? On the other hand this proposal will be a worthy replacement; admired and beloved for countless generations to come.
Egbert
#5 Posted by Egbert on 11 Jun 2015 at 09:27 AM
A bit misleading to describe the cottages as the 'last remains of the former hamlet of Nether Liberton' - as far as I'm aware it's very much still there, just off the other side of Gilmerton Road: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.923898,-3.164808,3a,75y,8h,89.07t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sZYewo_21X1bLl9Z-QQJADg!2e0?hl=en
james
#6 Posted by james on 12 Jun 2015 at 09:42 AM
Oh and just before this says goodbye, i forgot to mention that there's a wee 'scale' thing going on in image 1, showing floor to ceiling heights of about 2 metres!
I wish I was as clever as these architects. But then, i could never even aspire to such dizzy heights.
Auntie Nairn
#7 Posted by Auntie Nairn on 12 Jun 2015 at 14:10 PM
Criticism of the design is fair enough, possibly even deserved, but let's not forget that the decision to demolish the existing buildings doesn't rest with Kenneth Reid Architects - the site has been marketed for a number of years for development.

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