Picturesque Longniddry expansion extols village virtues
July 5 2019
Cruden Homes have won planning consent from East Lothian Council to significantly extend the village of Longniddry through the addition of 81 new homes.
The first phase of a wider expansion masterplan the development features a range of classically-inspired properties designed by Halliday Fraser Munro and Ben Pentreath which are said to draw inspiration from local precedents to create homes which are at once picturesque, characterful and archetypal.
Belying quaint appearances Cruden will adopt a fabric-first approach to the construction to maximise the building performance and will include solar panels discreetly integrated into roofs. A wildlife corridor will also be formed along Braid’s Burn.
These will be delivered as part of a wider 450 home masterplan as set out by Socially Conscious Capital and Taylor Architecture & Urbanism which has been inspired by the principles laid down at Knockroon by The Princes Foundation.
Hazel Davies, sales and marketing director of Cruden Homes commented: “When complete, these unique and beautiful new homes will encapsulate classic village life perfectly.”
It is expected that work will get underway in the autumn for completion by 2020.
Classically inspired exteriors will be matched with contemporary building standards
Homes will be built on the site of Longniddry Farm
The development has been inspired by the work of the Prince's Foundation at Knockroon
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10 Comments
P.S. the corner stones on that building look horrible.
I love modern design, and it's always good to look forward rather than back, but it's a simple truth that a lot of modern housing (even the good stuff) can be a little soulless. This scheme may be a throwback if you like, but at least it has a warmth and character that a lot of non-architects are very happy with. Not everybody wants the latest streamlined Sunseeker motor launch, some actually like a teak-decked cutter. And who are we to judge?
Morris & Steedman with a team of other architects developed some sites around Campbell Road in the 1970s in Longniddry that were modern, spacious and well planned. That's nearly 50 years ago. This isn't just pastiche, it's regressive.
This is commercial mass housing with a face lift to soften the blow. Congratulations to everyone involved.
Very much of its time, the single-storey flat-roofed 70s primary school aesthetic is not wearing particularly well, unless you're a niche fan. The last half century hasn't seen this style revived – perhaps due to practical matters like the difficulty in maintaining a watertight flat roof in Scotland and finding large enough plots, but also likely because it's just not very visually engaging. Fine for public buildings, but domestic architecture has its own unique requirements that can’t just be addressed by sufficient space and light. The primeval need to gather round a heat source, to feel enclosed by solidity, to be private, to have a character you can identify with, all while being affordable is a difficult balance to get right.
The snug/cosiness factor is a basic need for many, particularly in northern climes, and it’s something that’s missing from many houses these days, despite the current superficial hugge/coorie trends. Time to add domestic snugness to architecture school curriculums!
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