Saltire Housing Design Awards 2023 Results The Saltire Society has announced the recipients for the 2023 Saltire Housing Design Award on Monday 13 November 2023 presented by Guest Chair Michal Angus and Minister for Housing Paul McLennan. Supported by The Scottish Government, the Awards celebrate the diversity of the best of new housing in Scotland, recognising the contribution it makes to social and cultural conversations. Advocating Scottish house building and place making for 85 years, longer than any other design award in Scotland, the Saltire Housing Design Awards work to encourage good, affordable, adaptable and environmentally sustainable housing in Scotland. Saltire Medal Our Saltire Medal is nominated by our Guest Chair for a single project in each year. Edinburgh(Architect: Fraser/Livingstone Architects, Client: Seven Hills Investments)A traditional Scottish tenement built in a contemporary way, out of healthy, vapour-open, carbon-locking solid structural timber and with the form embracing light, view and openness. This is the first commercial developer-led heavy timber residential development in Scotland, with new technology evolved to allow the exposure of the timber internally while exceeding Scotland’s high acoustic requirements. Single Dwelling Award The Railway House Newport on Tay(Architect: ZONE Architects)The architects have maximised the potential of a difficult site which was a leftover scrap of land with a steep slope across it. The design of the house references the former railway station building which had a simple, flat-roofed form. Judges' Comments Re-appropriating the site of a former railway station, Railway House takes full advantage of an awkward gusset site. Massing creates an enclosed private garden to the rear (not an easy thing to do on such a site), whilst the ‘upside down’ organisation allows for public rooms to take full advantage of specific existing views. The desire for the owner to ‘come home’ is well met, with a building seeming to sit in its place as if it had always belonged there. Single Dwelling Award Glendale Cottage Muirmill(Architect: Ann Nisbet Studio)Three important elements of the brief were to strive for a harmless house; it should be adaptable for old age with a focus on dementia; and reflect how the clients live and work. The new dwelling is designed to be dementia and age friendly and consists of two linear one-storey buildings with a simple connection between. Judges' Comments Glendale Cottage is truly a Phoenix borne from the ashes. Built on the site of the owner’s original home destroyed by fire, the new building does not shy from exhibiting its dynamic character, both inside and out. The form may be traditional, and modest – but the treatment (black) makes for a building suitably uncompromised; and indeed, the internal arrangement too, so specifically accommodating to the owners passions is delightful to see. Clearly the immediacy of the ‘now’ is assured – but so too is the ‘future’ with a dedicated attention paid to possible ailment later in life. A simple yet profound development. Watch a short film on the shortlisted projects HERE Multiple Public Dwelling Commendation Kilsyth Road Kirkintilloch(Architect: Page\Park Architects, Client: Link Group) The project seeks to create a sense of place for the residents, it also seeks to promote social interaction externally and internally, encouraging a new community to grow. This is achieved through opportunities for social interaction: externally by the creation of a paved mews, creating a courtyard feel; and internally through large, well-lit spaces and landings. Judges' Comments Making the most of a relatively tight site, Kilsyth Road makes a rather clever formal move, by arranging the properties in tow blocks running perpendicular to the street. Scale is therefore deceptive, but appropriate, giving due contextual respect to the street, and in turn creating positive external spaces, notably the cascading gardens to the rear – individual but collective at the same time, a description applicable to the whole. Multiple Public Dwelling Award North Gate Glasgow(Architects: Page \ Parks Architects, Client: New Gorbals Housing Association) The 31 residential units are designed to suit the needs of predominantly older residents with open plan internal layouts and features including large internal storage, wide corridors to assist movement for residents, step free access throughout and level access showers. Judges' Comments Announcing itself as a ‘gateway to the Gorbals’, North Gate is a dramatic addition to the urban landscape, massing itself to create a profile suitably unique on the Glasgow skyline. It is detailed with precision throughout, with decorative elements subtly incorporated duly offsetting what could have been an uncomfortably austere consequence of the relatively limited material palette. Incorporating communal facilities for the benefit of all, North Gate makes its presence proudly felt, both inside and out. Watch a short film on the Shortlisted projects HERE Multiple Private Dwelling Commendation New Steiner Glasgow(Architect: Grant | Murray Architects Ltd, Client: Steiner Property)The architecturally significant former school building was the last school to be designed by Scottish Edwardian architect Sir John James Burnet and dates back to 1876. A complex and innovative restoration process was undertaken to convert the burnt-out shell of the building into residential apartments. Judges' Comments New Steiner is indeed an accurate description for this project, ‘new’ having been duly created from the ‘old’. The shell of the existing building has been rightfully retained and restored, but more so, the interior, though completely new, is arranged around a delightful courtyard established along the same lines as the original building. Flats offer a variety of type, concluding with the penthouses which duly exploit the city context. Multiple Private Dwelling Commendation The Botanics Glasgow(Architect: CDA, Client: David Wilson Homes)On the site of the former BBC headquarters in Glasgow’s west end, the development consists of 19 high quality townhouses and 75 apartments over four apartment buildings. Multiple Private Dwelling Commendation The McEwan Edinburgh(Architect: CDA, Client: Moda Living)The site is part of the re-development masterplan of the former Scottish & Newcastle Brewery site in Fountainbridge and has been designed to create a strong sense of community. The varied offer of accommodation creates opportunities for a mixed community which is more akin to traditional city blocks. Judges' Comments The McEwan is notable for its confident effort to exemplify the positives in temporary living. From the outset there is an undeniable sense of community immediately engendered by the generous entrance hall. This spirit continues, with the incorporation of numerous and worthy communal facilities – short of a place to be married, there is nothing g the resident might need really. The form and massing off the building exudes permanence, proudly confirming itself as a serious piece of urbanity, contributing as much to the external quality of spaces created as much as the internal needs. Clearly a building designed to stay, even if the residents only do so temporarily. Multiple Private Dwelling Award Trinity Mews Edinburgh(Architects: ZONE Architects, Client: Dundas Developments Ltd)Trinity Mews is a development of five townhouses created by extending the lane along the top of a slope to form a mews. The narrow and tall form of the houses evolved from this site condition, maximising the potential for views, whilst also offering each house some garden space and a street-level storage. Judges' Comments There is a remarkable sense of ‘before’ and ‘after’ attendant with this project, ‘before’ being dwarfed in spatial terms by the ‘after’ – for what has been created, though small, nevertheless, is a mightily positive contribution to the urban environment. By exploiting the mews typology in a contemporary fashion, two distinct and complimentary spaces are created: hard landscaped to the entry side, and soft landscaped to the garden side. The mews townhouses though apparently uniform, externally actually offer alternative ways of living internally, allowing for the occupier to inhabit at their discretion, according to their needs. An undeniable plus made from an unenviable negative. Multiple Private Dwelling Award Simon Square Edinburgh(Architect: Fraser/Livingstone Architects, Client: Seven Hills Investments)A traditional Scottish tenement built in a contemporary way, out of healthy, vapour-open, carbon-locking solid structural timber and with the form embracing light, view and openness. This is the first commercial developer-led heavy timber residential development in Scotland, with new technology evolved to allow the exposure of the timber internally while exceeding Scotland’s high acoustic requirements. Judges' Comments A striking contemporary infill into an existing Victorion urban context. The project utilises brick provocatively to massive intent; with exemplary environmental credentials combined has produced a bold project of unique character, both inside and out. Memorably, externally the brick, by just being painted makes for a more remarkable expression than might be predicted of paint; whilst the predominance of timber left exposed internally creates an atmosphere suitably as warm counterpoint. The form had to be responsive to the density of the place, to generate views whilst avoiding overlooking – expedited to the projects acclaim, sculpturally appearing both befitting and of benefit to the place rather than subservient to it. Watch a short film on the Shortlisted projects HERE The CIOB Good Building Award is nominated by the CIOB panel representative.