Housing Developments

We have a strong track record of sustainable housing design and strategic masterplanning, both in the private and social housing sectors.

Clients value our ability to assemble effective design teams to address key issues at the appropriate time and coordinate projects from inception to delivery.

Together with our expertise in placemaking, we are familiar with building regulations, planning policies and roads guidance and are skilled at anticipating and negotiating the supporting information to be submitted with planning applications.

We specialise in working with developers, housing associations and community organisations on affordable housing projects throughout Scotland, often in areas of outstanding landscape character, where minimising the impact on local ecology and landscape are of key importance.

All our residential projects are designed to minimise energy use and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. By maximising solar gains and using high levels of insulation, air-tight building fabric and modern heating systems, we create buildings which are bright, fuel efficient, and make best use of the energy provided by zero-carbon technologies.

Specialist skills

  • We work with the Communities Housing Trust and have experience managing diverse client teams, including local community trusts.
  • Community consultations.
  • Knowledge of constraints imposed by funders, such as the Rural Housing Fund and the Scottish Land Fund.
  • Advising on and assembling relevant sub-consultant teams as required, such as ecologists, site investigations, noise impact assessments, landscaping, tree surveys and flood risk assessments.
  • Place-based design approach following the Place Principal.
  • Design to Housing for Varying Needs.
  • Design of sustainable and energy efficient buildings, including net zero carbon, carbon negative and passive house principals. Materials are selected using the BRE Green Guide to Specification and renewable energy technologies are included where possible.

Projects include

  • Masterplan for Affordable Housing at Salen and Fishnish for Mull & Iona Community Trust.
  • Affordable housing development of 12 houses for Tomintoul and Glenlivet Development Trust, a combination of affordable rented and affordable housing for sale, with live/work units, and wheelchair accessible units. The houses are highly insulated and include photovoltaic cells and heat batteries to address fuel poverty.
  • Masterplan for 18 houses in Kinloch Rannoch, a mixed development of affordable housing and open market housing, with some designed as live/work units for Rannoch Community Trust and Dunalastair Estate.
  • Masterplan for 22 serviced plots including four affordable houses for Dulnain Bridge Community Development Trust/ Reidhaven Trust for a site in an ancient woodland setting.
  • Supporting Locus Breadalbane Ltd to develop two flats for social rent within the Grade B listed Aberfeldy Town Hall. The flats will be upgraded to modern standards in terms of layout, thermal efficiency and construction methods.
  • Winning bid with Cairn Housing Association for the Scottish Housing Expo in Inverness. The project employed a fabric-first approach to reduce energy consumption by using high levels of insulation and maximising solar gains.