Windygoul J
53 affordable homes for Places for People on behalf of East Lothian Housing Association and Lothian Homes, located in Tranent, East Lothian, comprising 18 flats and 35 houses, including 5 houses for wheelchair users and 9 joint tenure flats.
The site pre-empted the publication of the national guidance in quality in street design ‘Designing Streets’ and is planned on ‘homezone‘ principles with accommodation arranged around a series of informal and intimately scaled streets and courts. These are designed on the premise that pedestrians take priority over vehicles and that the street is primarily a place for social interaction rather than vehicles. Great care has been taken to create ‘events’ within the streetscape or places where people can meet and interact and that are suitable and safe for play. These are complimented by a scheme of hard and soft landscaping including informal street furniture.
A simple material palette principally of timber and render both provide coherence and makes reference the East Lothian Vernacular. Additional interest is provided through a roofscape that has been manipulated and arranged to give variety and character.
The housing is designed to HFVN standards and to achieve Secured by Design accreditation. In addition the design pre-empts forthcoming higher standards in thermal performance and CO2 emissions by meeting standards than those current at the time of building, the design includes the use of solar thermal panels.
The project was completed in January 2012.
Project Value: £4million
