Moore Street Housing

Following on from the great success of the Graham Square development for Molendinar Park Housing Association, the association invited Richard Murphy architects along with architects Page & Park, JM Architects and Elder and Cannon (all of Glasgow) to compete for the master planning of an adjacent site on the corner of Moore Street and the Gallowgate in Glasgow's East End. The site was largely empty except for a derelict tenement on the Gallowgate (now demolished) and the preserved archway to the former meat market. Each Architect would has built approximately 20 to 25 flats, with a particular interest in energy conservation and continuing some of the other themes already exhibited at Graham Square.

The competition for the master plan was won by Richard Murphy architects in early 2003. The master plan envisaged a large communal pedestrian square in the centre of the site from which the four architects' developments are addressed. Each practice was invited to design a housing scheme around a courtyard with the shared entrance to the courtyard being the place where the entry phone to all flats is located. The effect of the whole scheme therefore is to privatise or semi-privatise the site into a series of linked courtyards. The entire perimeter is defined by a lignacite wall. Parking is restricted to the northern edge.

Since the master plan was put forward each practice developed its own scheme along these lines.