January 31 2020

Edinburgh’s Annandale Street has been targeted for an 11-home infill development by Hackland + Dore Architects which will see the practice demolish their studio to capitalise on the air space above.

Designed to fund the directors pension pot the build would abut a Georgian tenement gable on the edge of the New Town Conservation Area, marrying a contemporary design with traditional ashlar sandstone broken by precast concrete bands.

Access is provided by a vertical glazed recess adjoining gable wall, doubling as a transition element between the pair, with matching cast iron balustrades.

Espousing their design approach the practice wrote: “The design proposals seek to replace the existing single-storey shed building at 16 Annandale Street with a contemporary, residential tenement building.

“The proposals have been designed to complement the adjacent Georgian building massing. Eaves, terraces, balconies, precast bands and entrance canopy levels correspond with the tenement to the side of the development. The design relates to the height proportions of the tenements’ street elevations.”

A private rear courtyard will serve as a shared amenity space with ground and basement flats benefiting from private gardens.

5 Comments

#1 Posted by classarchitect on 31 Jan 2020 at 12:19 PM

'Designed to fund the directors pension pot' is just about the best thing I've seen written here. Maybe written anywhere. Also in the running is 'designed to get Planning Consent' or 'not fully designed yet'

#2 Posted by mick on 31 Jan 2020 at 15:47 PM

This site deserves imagination and confidence and these proposals fall short. Bite the bullet, commission Richard Murphy and you will benefit from both.

#3 Posted by KLD on 31 Jan 2020 at 21:26 PM

It's a nice infill scheme. Wold prefer to see the floors align with the tenement though.

#4 Posted by FHM on 31 Jan 2020 at 21:37 PM

Oooft, Edinburgh; are you trying to steal Glasgow's crown for the worst Architecture in Scotland? This is surely one of the most embarrassing examples of apartment planning I have seen - and by a supposed "Architect" as well! It looks like a first year student has proposed the layouts judging by the lengths of corridors. Poor. 2/10.

#5 Posted by Lindsay Buchan on 3 Feb 2020 at 12:29 PM

That's a shocker!

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