Edinburgh Microflats : Architecture Information + Images

New photos, 28 Sep 2009:



Peffermill Microlofts, Edinburgh

2 Jun 2009

A new residential development designed by Studio DuB has just been completed in south Edinburgh for the Microloft Company Limited. The Peffermill area edges onto Craigmillar a district which required and is undergoing considerable regeneration in the guise of the "ParcLife" project, but this edginess belies the fact that the location is sandwiched between verdant playing fields and magnificent views of Edinburgh's Arthur's Seat.



The Studio DuB design responds to the toughness of the area by using a restricted palate of materials with elevational play and reserving the softness of timber for balcony privacy screens. The robust ethic continues internally with well-finished exposed concrete soffits and galvanised steel trunking and balustrading. The four storey development takes advantage of the aspect by providing well considered cantilevered decks to the front and balconies to each unit. The scheme is planned as an L-shaped development providing a courtyard towards the street, and preserving the rear for gardens rather than parking. Gordon Duffy, Principal of Studio DuB has made use of the generic balcony access model but this is made more generous by the delineation of two zones: a concrete accessway edging the courtyard and a defensible strip of galvanised steel durbar plate with etched glass flooring. Says Duffy, "an accessway needs to be more than 1100mm width to provide any level of amenity, here we've designed it at 1800mm to provide a modest external area which can be personalised adjacent to the common access zone whilst allowing light to filter through". With unashamedly tough design ethic, the project provides a range of units growing in size from the super-compact one-bedroom Microloft units of 32.5m2 plus rear balcony. The amenity of these units comes from muscular design: "there is a hierarchy of space which prioritises a more generous living area than sleeping, plus there are parcels of external space to front and back" explains Duffy. The units range in size from the eponymous Microloft to 3 bed units with roof terraces.

Previously:


Image from Duffy & Batt Architects 010506

Work to commence on site soon of Duffy & Batt's largest new-build yet of 34 'microlofts' at 30 Peffermill Road overlooking Edinburgh University playing fields

Credits: Client - Microloft Company Ltd
Architect: Duffy & Batt, Gordon Duffy + David Dejous
Engineer:Harley Haddow
Contractor: Wisebuild



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