September 14 2022

Midlothian Council has commissioned Architype to deliver 23 Passivhaus flats on the site of a former library and leisure centre in Danderhall, since relocated to a new community hub.

Split between two blocks housing will adopt a unified language of red brick and prominent pitched gables, segregated by a parking court.

In a planning statement, Architype wrote: "Taking reference from local historic factory and mining buildings, a pitched roof with pronounced gable ends for both housing blocks have been designed. This strategy allows for a sense of arrival for residents and creates a courtyard feel to the centre of the site.

"Expressed gables take inspiration from the rich mining history of the area, and the materiality responds to the historical context. The incorporation of careful brick detailing and plinth banding creates a sense of human scale in the proposals."

The first of a new wave of low-energy social housing the homes will stand alongside a retained play park and woodland as part of a landscape strategy prepared by Atkins. 

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