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Residents settle into award winning Lerwick housing

March 16 2012

Residents settle into award winning Lerwick housing
Occupiers have begun settling into their Gordians, a £4.5m social housing scheme at Lerwick on the Shetland Islands in a development which has garnered national.

Comprising a mix of34 one to four bedroom dwellings in flatted, semi-detached and detached housing the scheme and has been driven by Hjaltland Housing Association in a bid to reduce unwanted relocation from the island.

It is designed around the Homezone concept to encourage community interaction and features windows and doors sourced from Norway to keep the temperamental northern weather at bay.

Adrian Wishart of lead consultants Richard Gibson Architects said: “The houses were built close together to create shelter. Reducing energy usage and promoting sustainability were key to the design of the development. The distinct colour palette brings a cheerful vibrancy from within and outside the scheme especially during the dark winter months endured so far north in Scotland.”

Constructed using a timber frame and clad in softwood the project has a distinctively Nordic flavour, as Graeme Milne, regional sales manager NorDan UK explained: “This is a very colourful development – you could be mistaken for thinking these high performance timber windows had been installed in Norway where they were produced!”

E&H Building Ltd acted as main contractor.
Homes are tightly clustered both to afford shelter and to foster community spirit
Homes are tightly clustered both to afford shelter and to foster community spirit
Large windows maximise solar gain when the sun shines
Large windows maximise solar gain when the sun shines

7 Comments

Fan
#1 Posted by Fan on 16 Mar 2012 at 16:03 PM
What a lovely scheme- such a shame the private sector can't deliver similar
.
Neil
#2 Posted by Neil on 19 Mar 2012 at 09:33 AM
I think it's actually called 'Grödians' - need to sort out your proofing (again)...
Sven
#3 Posted by Sven on 19 Mar 2012 at 13:32 PM
Looks great. Lots of Norwegian influence in the design and colourful. As long as they are great to live in they are wonderfully designed.
M Londra
#4 Posted by M Londra on 21 Mar 2012 at 09:25 AM
Norway really understand the true concept of social housing.
Kevin MacLoud
#5 Posted by Kevin MacLoud on 21 Mar 2012 at 14:23 PM
As a fan of standard timber kits, clay roof tiles and dry dash wall panels, I'm disappointed the scheme doesn't reflect the local vernacular.
ex. Graeme Milne
#6 Posted by ex. Graeme Milne on 24 Mar 2012 at 17:19 PM
FAO Graeme Milne
Your windows are outdated . . . Nordan use to be the lead, the doors don't even meet passivhaus standards!!!
ex. Graeme Milne
#7 Posted by ex. Graeme Milne on 24 Mar 2012 at 17:19 PM
FAO Graeme Milne
Your windows are outdated . . . Nordan use to be the lead, the doors don't even meet passivhaus standards!!!

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