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ARPL's 'urban archaeology' wins Dumfries design competition

June 7 2017

ARPL's 'urban archaeology' wins Dumfries design competition
ARPL Architects have come out on top in a design competition organized by the Glasgow Institute of Architects to reimagine the historic Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries.

Placing town centre living at its heart ARPL’s approach seeks to bring new uses and footfall to the High Street and its wider context.
In their citation the judges lauded the creation of affordable retail and craft spaces with learning and community spaces forming part of the mix.

The citation read: “The scheme gave real consideration to the cross section through the urban block with a variety of typologies addressing each edge condition. The layering of typology allows for the housing in the core of the block that would feasibly attract a range of people, including families, to work, live and play in the town centre while business units activate the existing townscape with the utilisation of the High Street frontage for specialist local retailers.

“We thought the scheme promoted an urban archaeology to rediscover and utilise the heritage of the organically grown buildings of the back court of the block and that the lightweight additions create a new landscape and built form along the existing feu lines, but at a density and scale that is appropriate to Dumfries.”

In second place were Andie Cooke, Megan Ward, Cara Brunton and Ashley Mitchell with Pioneer Landscape Architecture placing third. A drawing commendation was awarded to Ryan Canning and Titas Grikevicius of Holmes Miller.
Courtyard live/work areas and small office spaces would be provided
Courtyard live/work areas and small office spaces would be provided
Feuland to the rear of the High Street would be brought back into use as housing
Feuland to the rear of the High Street would be brought back into use as housing

2 Comments

boaby wan
#1 Posted by boaby wan on 9 Jun 2017 at 09:22 AM
I saw this somewhere else too, is there going to be an exhibition of the schemes?
Something genuinely interesting in that arpl scheme, is there any chance it will be developed into a built scheme or was it just an ideas competition?
Gordon Fleming
#2 Posted by Gordon Fleming on 10 Jun 2017 at 15:32 PM
The entries are on exhibition in the Stove Dumfries until 21st JUne and then in South Block, Glasgow from 30th June til 12th July. It was an ideas competition but based around a block in Dumfries which the Stove Network hope to develop at least in part. Whether we get the chance to do this at this point is unknown.

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