Edinburgh Design Guidance
The Edinburgh Design Guidance was given an award at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning in the Development Plans category at an event held last night.
The judges noted that in creating the new guidance, attention was given to reviewing the previous guidance, to help reduce and simplify the information as much as possible. A number of people were involved in preparing the guidance including planners, architects, community groups and politicians with the intention to keep the content under review and update it as required. The judges felt this was a clever way to make sure the guidance is relevant and responsive. They were also impressed with the overall layout of the document – in three coherent and well-illustrated chapters – as well as linking the guidance with a training package on how to use it.
The guidance explains the Council’s expectations for the design of buildings, landscape and spaces in Edinburgh.
26 -31 Charlotte Square
We also collected a commendation for our work with Corran Properties and Morgan McDonnell Architecture on the restoration and redevelopment of 26 – 31 Charlotte Square which the judges said was a sensitive and complex regeneration project.
RIAS Doolan Award: Advocate’s Close
At another awards ceremony last night the Advocate’s Close development, also by Morgan McDonnell Architecture, was awarded the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award for 2014. This complex development posed a number of planning challenges not least in creating a development on a site that is embedded in the fine grain of closes on the flanks of the old town ridge. The reuse of buildings and the careful design of new buildings for commercial units, a restaurant, offices, a bar/bistro and serviced apartments has brought new life to this part of the Old Town.
Planning Edinburgh 