Housing plan for brownfield in Edinburgh receives an award

The housing plan for brownfield in Edinburgh, which aims to create sustainable housing and an active community urban village at an Edinburgh site, has won a prestigious national design award. A 31 year old, Michael Bryan is a Sustainable Community Design student at Heriot-Watt’s School of the Built Environment. He won the Integrated Habitat Design Competition Award 2011 for his project named ShrubhillWorks, which involves 122 affordable houses and facilities which will eventually turn the site into a ‘new hub of biodiversity’. IHDC is based on biodiversity of the urban design, but is trying to get all the professions, integrating green infrastructure and eco system services. IHDC provides a ‘forum for visionaries and innovators to design better, more sustainable habitats for all of us.’ The 1st Prize award is £2,000 and the ceremony is held in the Sackler Hall of the Museum of London. The 2nd Prize is £1,000 and 3rd Prize – £750.

ShrubhillWorks is a redevelopment plan for an brown-field site on Leith Walk in Edinburgh, which used to be a bus and tram network. One of the parts of the plan would be to combine a variety of new architecture and the re-development of XIX and XX century buildings.

Michael Bryan wants to encourage people to change their lifestyle into more ecological one, by creating for example a community education centre and sustainable transport connections. Chair of IHDC Judges Gary Grant said that: ‘There would be areas for communal gardening, child-care, workshops and guest rooms, as well as providing private family space.’

Along with the facilities, Bryan wants to implement a combined heat and power generator and solar heating. The place would be water-sensitive, with a full use of available rainwater and environmental drainage systems like reed ponds, which will ensure clean drainage to the close-by Waret of Leith. The available houses would be a combination of private facilities and communal living suitable for all ages and statuses.
One of the strong sites of this winning project was creating a space for a nature and wildlife habitat within the eco village. ‘Eco system services is not an optional extra. It is absolutely essential for civilisation to continue. Those are the natural services that we all depend on’ said Gary Grant.

photo: flickr/subberculture