August 6 2020

Richard Murphy has provided a personal perspective on the delivery of Edinburgh's newest crescent in the form of a home to home lockdown discussion.

Invited by CALA Homes to speak about the practices latest work at Donaldson's College, Edinburgh, Murphy explains the Georgian inspiration that led to a sweeping curve of modern accommodation appearing in the grounds.

Murphy said: “Obviously one doesn’t want to make fake architecture, one wants to make something that is true to their own time and I also like the idea that buildings are rooted to their place.

“We need to make contemporary contributions to our townscape, which don’t detract from the history of the site but that put them into new settings, enhancing them in a way that was not originally imaginable."

In particular, Murphy is pleased by the use of interlocking sections spanning four levels to combine double-height living areas with more compact mezzanine spaces, provision of rooftop gardens for penthouse occupants and expansive windows offering distinct views of the A-listed Playfair building, now being converted to apartments.

In all The Crescent provides 84 apartments set within 18 acres of established grounds.

11 Comments

#1 Posted by mick on 6 Aug 2020 at 15:30 PM

Richard Murphy has yet again shown that he is a master of space, light and sheer architectural innovation/tenacity. Refreshing to see that a major house builder has stepped from boring convention to quality innovation.

#2 Posted by Pew Pew on 6 Aug 2020 at 15:52 PM

Honking...

#3 Posted by James Hepburn on 6 Aug 2020 at 16:11 PM

CALA Homes are a byword for mundane. Nothing that offensive and nothing at all interesting.

#4 Posted by David on 6 Aug 2020 at 16:21 PM

Boring, ugly, bland and cheap looking. Quality innovation? Don't make us all laugh!

#5 Posted by Inahuff on 6 Aug 2020 at 16:42 PM

#1, given economics and planning restrictions of this site normal volume house builder stock would never apply - the site’s only developable if you can get big bucks for a relatively few properties/ha so they had to be something different to attract those with a few million to spend. The business case drove the innovation, RMA just penned the form of it.
I don’t get why he’s so chuffed about the balcony-less maisonettes though... hardly environmentally sound to have to loose all the heat from your home to get wee alfresco espresso in the morning.

#6 Posted by mick on 6 Aug 2020 at 18:20 PM

#4 David So clearly your architectural outputs are even better...? Please provide the evidence on this forum.....

#7 Posted by Jimbo on 7 Aug 2020 at 07:58 AM

to be fair I think this is pretty good

its very easy to be a keyboard warrior and criticise from the anonymity of your bedroom.

I'm generally no fan of RMA, but on this occasion I think the boy done good.

#8 Posted by Kerny on 7 Aug 2020 at 09:34 AM

Agreed with Jimbo, not normally a RMA fan but this looks good.

#9 Posted by Impartial on 7 Aug 2020 at 13:46 PM

Unfortunately, the above comments really do epitomise UR readers' contributions - embarrassing.
RMA may not be for everyone and Richard Murphy may not be the most likeable of characters (or easiest to work with) but you can't deny the talent.
Moronic comments such as the above say a lot more about the ignorance of those writing them than they do about the scehemes they're so desperate to lambast.
Jog on back to the Daily Mail site and leave your trolling comments there.

#10 Posted by advocatus diaboli on 10 Aug 2020 at 09:32 AM

Whilst generally in agreement with Jimbo and Kerny and the success of the interplay of internal volumes, I think it's important to remember that RMA is an office made up of more than one man alone...

#11 Posted by nathan wright on 14 Aug 2020 at 23:58 PM

People are entitled to their comments. I also think this is bland and does nothing for me. Mr. Murphy joined a project bid we were on and was a nightmare to work with.
He had a superiority complex that has surfaced on a number of projects in Edinburgh with predictable reactions not just from neighbours but also the public and heritage groups. He does the profession no favours with the angst he generates about insisting on the primacy of his style of modern architecture regardless of context..

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