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January 2018
ISA spearhead new Canonmills homes

ISA spearhead new Canonmills homes

January 24 2018

Ian Springford Architects are behind plans to redevelop a former mill to create 11 apartments and ground floor commercial space on Edinburgh’s Canon Street on behalf of Thistle Property Group.

Most recently used as office space the Canonmills Property’s front sandstone rubble façade on Eyre Place will be retained with the remainder of the building demolished, including an orange clay-tile roof and shopfront, to make way for new build accommodation.

Set backs will provide opportunities for private roof terraces with a zinc penthouse and glazing stretching down through the lower floors to highlight a shared entranceway with new elements predominantly faced in ashlar sandstone and buff brick to marry with the historic mill.

Outlining their design development, the practice wrote: “This aesthetic of sandstone with cleanly
cut apertures and minimalist detailing was translated across the new facade along Canon Street, uniting the new proposal with the existing historic building.”

As part of the work windows on the upper level of the mill will be repositioned to better suit the new floor levels.

New build element will be faced in ashlar stone, buff brick and zinc with a glass box supplanting the pan tile roof

The existing clay-tile roof and shopfront will be demolished

14 Comments

#1 Posted by Chris on 24 Jan 2018 at 13:53 PM

Completely ruins the character of the existing building.

#2 Posted by monkey9000 on 24 Jan 2018 at 15:56 PM

So, they have lobbed off the most distinctive feature of the existing building!? Poor effort, try again.

#3 Posted by Cadmonkey on 24 Jan 2018 at 18:33 PM

That is a strong lintol!
Or is it strong glass?

#4 Posted by Inahuf on 24 Jan 2018 at 19:46 PM

I hope they keep the animal silhouettes - more character in them than the building they’ve designed! I mean, a penthouse balcony looking into a load of HMOs . Geez

#5 Posted by Philip on 25 Jan 2018 at 12:32 PM

The treatment of the Canon Street block is utterly ridiculous. Mounting it with an oversize, banal glazed/zinc'y box is a tedious response..... I am sure it will get planning though.

#6 Posted by classarchitect on 25 Jan 2018 at 13:22 PM

From living locally until recently I seem to recall this is the oldest building in cannonmills back when beyond it there was a loch. Given the recent who-ha over the architecturally merit less 'Earthy' nearby I wonder if we'll get the same love shown for this building by the locals.

#7 Posted by David on 25 Jan 2018 at 17:01 PM

You might as well knock the existing building down given you've pretty much completely destroyed it's character.

#8 Posted by Jon on 26 Jan 2018 at 10:05 AM

What in holy h€ll is this...!?

#9 Posted by Cadmonkey on 26 Jan 2018 at 14:27 PM

Isn’t it about time Edinburgh Council addresses their threshold at which Affordable Housing contributions are triggered? How many luxury flats of11 units do you see!! Just look at all the applications in Drumsheugh area for 11 unit (definitely not phased) conversions.
Luxury flats of 11 Units surely show the policy up to be I’ll thought out nonsense.

In other breaking news apparently this is the last surviving mill building in the city centre!
Nice cut and chop conversion lads.

#10 Posted by Ken L Ikes on 26 Jan 2018 at 18:03 PM

Erm it's 20no units.

#11 Posted by George Buchanan on 26 Jan 2018 at 21:35 PM

I disagree with all the comments above. I think this is an interesting and innovative way of preserving this piece of history. I like this approach by ISA.