Output details

Unlocking the land : Accessible Housing at Denny, Scotland

This is an original architectural design built work of 10 social houses, including 2 wheelchair user homes designed to suit the disabilities of specific tenants. A key aspect of the project was an innovative land release that enabled a previously land-locked site to be developed. The housing addresses the need for affordable housing in Central Scotland. The project was a finalist in the Scottish Home Awards 2011. The project builds on two earlier social housing projects developed by the author that studied the need for accessibility, community, and adaptability within the restraints of limited budget and resource.

The project is informed by previous social housing design experience and was developed in parallel with research undertaken for the Scottish Government, which was output as a report submitted for RAE 2008, ‘Design at the Heart of House building’. The Denny project was delayed for several years for a number of reasons, one of which was the level of car parking provision in the development. This experience is currently feeding into a new collaborative research and KE project ‘Parking Space’ as part of the AHRC Home Improvements Knowledge Exchange Award with Sheffield and Kingston Universities, ‘URBED’ and ‘Design for Homes’.