July 23 2020

Moray Council and Grampian Housing Association have gone public with their plans to erect a sustainable residential development for social rent at Bilbohall, Elgin.

Taken forward by Collective Architecture the proposals call for a mix of 200 homes comprising a mix of houses, amenity bungalows, cottage flats and a care village set amid communal greenspaces and parkland.

Located on the western edge of the urban area the masterplan area works around the constraints of a steeply sloping knoll and woodland belts with homes presenting strong gables to the landscape in a palette of red/silver metal roofs, timber and render.

A 'hilltop village' will crest one of these knolls with native planting and swales augmenting its elevated character. Below 'lower valley' homes will skirt the edges of woodland edge, forming a natural perimeter.

In a statement of intent, Collective Architecture wrote: "The site offered unique opportunities for open space and the final layout incorporates a number of pocket parks, a tree-lined SUDS basin, extensive tree-lined swales as well as an enhanced woodland edge. These are situated within a short distance of all properties and serve to connect the proposed development to the surrounding area."

All homes will be clustered with a view to activating dead spaces between properties as places for social interaction, with corner entrances and cottage flat arrangements chosen to provide additional active frontages.

An on-site care village follows the same template.

2 Comments

#1 Posted by ElginMarbles on 23 Jul 2020 at 12:17 PM

Edge of town greenfield site with 150% parking provision, a token number of which have electric charging points, and zero local amenities doesn't scream sustainable development to me.

The courtyard concept sketch doesn't appear to have carried through to the masterplan layout either.

#2 Posted by Urban Realm on 24 Jul 2020 at 11:13 AM

Sorry, yes the sketch concept wasn't developed for the final proposal.

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