Welcome to 7N Architects’ quarterly newsletter!
We hope that this will give you a window into some of the exciting things that have been keeping us busy and inspired.
This edition: construction milestones, new appointments, Ewan reflects on what makes a project a success, and team updates.
Planning submission for a green neighbourhood
7N Architects has recently submitted a planning application for 256 sustainable homes at a site on Ferry Road, Edinburgh. This project has been led with clear and progressive visioning from our clients at Artisan Real Estate and has benefited from extensive consultation with City of Edinburgh Council.
Designed around high quality green space, the development will provide a substantial net biodiversity gain alongside flexible new commercial space that fronts onto Ferry Road, helping to establish Crewe Toll as a key area in Edinburgh’s future growth.
All units will benefit from a large central communal garden, biodiverse green roofs, and a ‘wetland’ area to enhance local ecology. Low carbon technologies, such as individual air-source heat pumps within each home, will ensure that this project is fossil-fuel free and a benchmark for future large-scale housing developments within the city.
This has been a great team effort by all of those involved and we look forward to taking this project forward.
Rendering by DAAKO
Rowanbank Gardens nears completion
This has been a wonderful project to develop with Artisan Real Estate and it was hugely rewarding to deliver the first units to residents in September.
Due for completion at the end of 2023, this scheme will create 126 high quality new residences in the west of Edinburgh, including 32 affordable units. We strongly believe that this project will form a new benchmark for sustainable urban homes in Edinburgh.
It has also been a great honour to receive recent nominations for this design in the ‘Development of the Year’ category at the nationwide RESI Awards 2023 and ‘Apartment of the Year’ in the Scottish Home Awards 2023.
Restoration of the historic Granton Lighthouse
Edinburgh Council commissioned 7N Architects to undertake a feasibility study of the Granton Lighthouse in 2022. The building’s condition had declined in recent years and the council’s ambition was to forge a sustainable future for this unique and historic structure.
We are pleased to share that the commission has been extended. Working closely in with Simpson & Brown, we look forward to developing a strategy that will sensitively refurbish the Category C building in a way to complement the surrounding regeneration projects and once more be a beacon for the community of Granton.
On the back of this successful feasibility project, CEC also very recently broadened our appointment to provide architectural support with three further restoration projects in Granton. We can’t wait to get started!
Rendering by DAAKO
Temple Park Crescent
Also approaching completion is our 46-unit development with S1 located beside the Union Canal in Merchiston. The scaffolding is currently coming down and we are starting to see how the textured brickwork integrates with the animated tenement streetscape. Completion is due around the turn of the year.
Reflecting on Fraser Avenue
The places that architects and urban designers create have a significant impact on the well-being of the people who live in them and engage with them, both positive and negative. Doing this properly takes time, care, and resources.
Ewan Anderson reflected on the challenges faced in the masterplan of Fraser Avenue, a long-running and transformational collaboration we have undertaken with Kingdom Housing Association. You can read more on our journal site about how the success of the project was evaluated and what we, as architects and masterplanners, can aspire to achieve.
“Investing in well-being” may sound intangible but we frequently find that it is what everyone values most, whatever their circumstances.
Photograph by Gordon Burniston
Updates from the team
It has been a busy summer for the 7N team. The annual Buccleuch Property Challenge at Drumlanrig Castle is always highlight and each year is guaranteed to be full of surprises with a combination of adventure sports and gruelling (but rewarding!) activities. This year we sent two teams and entered both the women’s and mixed categories. The day was hot and extremely challenging but our women’s team did incredibly well to come away with the trophy!
We also took time out in August for our annual practice meeting — an opportunity to reflect on the past year and look forward to the future. We visited the team at Ocean Vertical in East Lothian and it was a full of lively discussion, fun activities, and a wonderful BBQ to cap the day.