CAER AMON PHASE ONE // EDINBURGH CITY


Caer Amon Phase One

PROFILE

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Richard Murphy Architects
AMA (New Town) Ltd
Cramond, Edinburgh
Large scale development
Phase One of ‘Caer Amon’ consists of 76 multi-storey homes containing both urban and suburban housing. A central 3.5 storey crescent and two blocks of flats create the urban inspired homes whilst 2 storey detached houses reflect suburban development.
Saltire Housing Design Awards 2006 – Commendation
EAA Awards 2006 – Commendation
Scottish Home Awards 2009 – Architectural Excellence
Richard Murphy
Saltire
Edinburgh Architecture

  Working with the
Landscape 
  Respect the landscape setting
  and the traditional building
  patterns of the locality

  Responding to the
Site 
  Consider the immediate context
  and allow specific site conditions
  to influence design

  How to
be inspired 
  Inspirational ideas for
  sustainable, creative
  and innovative design
  • The design has taken its lead from traditional housing developments, such as the Grange and Murrayfield, where roads are bounded by continuous garden walls and frequently there is an ambiguity between garden wall and building. 
  • The front garden has been forsaken and all available space has been placed as a private walled garden to the rear. 
  • Low eaves give 2 storey houses the impression of being only 1½ storeys, which better reflects local vernacular buildings.
  • The crescent is in the tradition of crescents found in many locations in Edinburgh, in particular at the west end of the New Town complete with a ‘mews lane’ to the rear.
  • The site is bounded by existing housing, woodland, a designated archaeological site to the north, an historic tree lined avenue to Cramond House and by playing fields to the south. 
  • In general, the strategy for the   development of the site was to place the larger, urban elements in the centre of the development, at a distance from the sensitive boundaries, and to locate the smaller, suburban housing around the edges of the development with views out to the natural landscape.
  • The development utilises the natural slope on the site with a stepped terrace design.
  • The overall concept of the development is to reverse the pattern of normal British housing estates, which consist of individual houses surrounded by front, back and side gardens which are then arranged around suburban roads. 
  • L-shaped houses are combined to form private courtyards, approached through a relatively narrow threshold. In this way, it is hoped that the experience of suburban housing will be transformed with recognisable space making and thresholds.

 

 

 

Page updated: Monday, March 12, 2012