Planning granted for innovative cladding

We received planning permission in The Grange, Edinburgh for this new “studio” room with timber cladding elevation over an existing garage.

Work starts on site at Greyfriars Charteris Centre

Our largest project to date has started on site this week. Today is #SocialEnterpriseDay and contractors SJS have been appointed and started on Monday, getting set up and preparing work areas.

RSA Architecture room

Our Greyfriars design on display at the RSA open exhibition 2-9th November.

EAA Talk

Kieran gave a talk on the practice’s EAA award winning house extension at ESALA, the venue was this amazing former courtyard in the Art School.

Schwarzbrotreihe, Stuttgart

We’ve been invited to talk about our work as part of Schwarzbrotreihe, at the Univeristy of Stuttgart tomorrow (30.10.2019).

Schwarzbrot translates as “daily bread” and the series (reihe) asks for architects to talk about one project; from concept to completion to “give an insight into the daily activities (the schwarzbrot) of an architect”.

Greyfriars Charteris Centre

Our church conversion and extension on The Pleasance, won in competition in 2017, is due to start on site in the next week or so (just waiting for final building warrant sign off).

RIBA Journal review

Kieran was asked to write a review of the new Hill House Box in Helensborough.

Full article on RIBA Journal website.

Brick extension in Colinton, Edinburgh nearing completion

This is an extension and house alteration using hand made Dutch bricks. In-progress site photo.

The Times, Bricks & Mortar cover

Our cottage near Crinan is on the front cover of the Times Bricks & Mortar section.
The article is about Statement Cottages by Gabriella Bennett @palebackwriter

Murrayfield terrace house extension

Photos back today from the brilliant Nanne Springer

Foundations prepared at Lockerbie

We’re working for a large UK sawmiller in Lockerbie; building a new office and reception building on their main timber processing site. Work started in May and our first site visit was today.

Constitution Street office

Our office at 88 Constitution Street, Edinburgh.

Tigh Na Geat

This house extension and remodelling is to a house called Tigh Na Geat which means “House under the Hill” in Gaelic. This construction photo shows why it’s called that.

2019 EAA Awards Winner

We are really proud to have won the 2019 EAA Award for small projects at a ceremony at St Celia’s Hall last night. Some excellent other projects in contention for this architectural award so we are all pleased to have won.

Many thanks to our wonderful clients Ken & Gemma Gray.
Builders: Watson & Lyall Ltd
Engineer: WMA
photographer: Nanne Springer

Planning permission granted

We received planning permission for a radical rethink of a terraced house in Portobello – dropping the existing garden room down by 1.2m to get better access to the garden.

Architect Edinburgh
Architects Edinburgh

Awards Shortlist

We’re pleased to have had two projects shortlisted for the EAA Small Projects architectural award. (Our favourite award).
Blackford Road
Jessfield Terrace

More info on the EAA Awards here: www.eaa.org.uk

Delicacy and restraint guide this Edinburgh practice

The RIBA Journal picked us as one of 6 architects outside London to write about as “future winners”.
The article is really well written and insightful, available in full here (though possibly behind paywall): https://www.ribaj.com/

12 Jessfield Terrace drawings

Drawings of our extension at 12 Jessfield Terrace, submitted for an RIAS architecture award,

12 years to limit climate change catastrophe

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported in 2018 that the world has until 2030 to act to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees C. We all need to change and to press our governments to do so too. Architects have an added responsibility as emissions from buildings accounts for 37% of total UK greenhouse gas. We continue to advocate for maximum insulation, for sustainable energy products (we’re particularly in favour of ground source heat pumps combined with solar photo voltaics) and we no longer support the installation of wood burning stoves.

Individually Makiko and Kieran have stopped eating meat, drinking milk and now drive a plug-in hybrid electric car.

Slating started at our Mayfield house

Slating starts at our house on East Mayfield in Edinburgh.

Planning Appeal Granted (another one)

One of our projects for a listed building in the Grange was refused listed building consent (but did receive planning permission) in 2018 in a decision many found incomprehensible. The client appealed and this week won that appeal with the reporter’s comments feeling like vindication for our design approach:

“Whilst the proposal is clearly a modern intervention, I consider that the appellant’s architects have sought to ensure to that it does not jar with the listed building whilst avoiding pastiche design solutions. The eaves height of the proposed extension lines up with the eaves of the conservatory and the roof on the east side of the conservatory and I consider that this provides a balance to the south elevation when viewed from the garden area. The use of stained charcoal cedar cladding ties in with the dark stained sandstone which is a feature of the building and, similarly, with the existing dark timber eaves and finials. I therefore consider that the proposals provide a positive relationship with other
parts of the building.”

Building Review for RIBA Journal

Kieran (with editing help from Adam) was commissioned by the RIBA Journal to write a review of the Bayes Centre at Edinburgh University by architects Bennetts Associates. Published today HERE

“The phase 1 Infomatics building is cellular with rooms off corridors; in the new building these dissolve into wider circulation that in turn washes out into the atrium and open plan work spaces.”

Image copyright Keith Hunter

Drawings of our Blackford Road project

Axonometric of our Blackford Road extension added to the project pages.