Today marks the official launch of What If…? /Scotland at V&A Dundee, where people from across Scotland will showcase their hopes, dreams and ideas for their local areas in a post-pandemic world at Scotland’s design museum.

Commissioned by the Scotland + Venice partnership, What if…?/ Scotland has been designed and curated by 7N Architects in partnership with Architecture & Design Scotland.

At the start of 2020 and prior to the first nationwide lockdown, 7N paired people from Wester Hailes in Edinburgh, Paisley in Renfrewshire, Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Elgin in Morayshire, and Lerwick in Shetland – with designers, architects, and artists – to share their hopes, dreams or wishes for the future of the place where they live. In 2021, a group in Whitfield, Dundee, also met and will continue to gather during the exhibition run to further consider what home means to them, in Dundee.

Together, they have looked at what the civic role of design and architecture means today and added their hopes, dreams and wishes for their own home towns, villages and cities, as well as considering the importance of place and its meaning to the people of Scotland today.

The collaborative workshops have been captured in a series of short films forming the narrative focus of the exhibition, made by filmmaker Basharat Khan of Bash Art Creative. The stories of each place, as told by its citizens and set within the rich and varied landscapes of rural and urban Scotland, are presented in an immersive environment designed for reflection and inspiration. These will be available online for international audiences to engage with as well as on show at V&A Dundee.

Visitors to the exhibition at V&A Dundee are also invited to add their own wish for the place they call home to a growing ‘Cloud of Dreams’ and be part of a major public art work at the centre of the exhibition.

V&A Dundee Website

Scotland + Venice

Image credits: Alan Richardson

7N Architects are delighted to share that this week marked the completion of our New Eidyn project at Edinburgh St James. New Eidyn is the product of a close partnership with internationally recognised residential developers Native Land, on behalf of clients Nuveen Real Estate and their development partner Queensberry Properties. The result is an exceptional set of 152 homes across three pavilion buildings, sitting atop of the £1bn St James Quarter in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre. This project has been a delight to work on and we are enormously grateful to all who have contributed along the way. Particular thanks goes to our collaborators on this journey: @nativeland_ltd @nativelandlifestyle @nuveeninv @gt_llp @beck_scotland @beckinteriors @hudsonandmercerdesign @optimisedenvironmentsltd @wallace.whittle David Stanley Associates, and Thomas and Adamson. Photograph by @zac.and.zac

7N Architects are proud that our Jordanhill project was one of just four projects shortlisted in the Residential category at the Glasgow Institute of Architects Awards last night. We are delighted to be recognised alongside such exemplary work. Congratulations to the winners, JM Architects and Elder & Cannon on their projects at St Andrews Drive and Botany Corner, and for the @glasgowinstituteofarchitects for arranging the event. @calahomes @simpsonandbrown @goodsonassociates Hulley & Kirkwood Photograph by @davidbarbour

A sustainable and inclusive living environment Jordanhill Park is a reflection of the growing emphasis on brownfield regeneration by the house-builder market. The principles of NPF4 are embedded through measures that help implement climate resilience, ecological enhancement, and the sustainable reuse of land, in ways that support both biodiversity and compact urban growth. • People-first design: Streets and spaces that prioritise residents. • Enriched green spaces: Expanded and accessible parkland, with significant new tree planting. • Respect for heritage: New buildings that complement the Grade-B listed David Stow Building’s historic character. • Thoughtful materials: Tones and textures chosen to harmonise with the existing architecture, ensuring longevity in our interventions. This expansive project typifies 7N’s commitment to placemaking that delivers value for people, nature, and the future. Many years in the making, it is great to reach this stage so that we can take a moment to pause and reflect on what has been achieved with our client, @calahomes. @simpsonandbrown @goodsonassociates Hulley & Kirkwood Photographs by @davidbarbour

Preserving history and creating strong new connections Our masterplan for 406 homes at Jordanhill Park, developed in close collaboration with CALA Homes West, is shaped around the Grade-B listed David Stow Building, a landmark with its iconic copper towers. Now thoughtfully restored and repurposed, this building remains central to the site’s identity and has been safeguarded for future generations through careful refurbishment, which has been made possible by the surrounding new-build development. The new homes are designed to harmonize with the landscape and the historic structures. Terraced townhouses create shared streets that frame views of the natural surroundings and connect to a central linear park. Detached houses form a permeable edge around the site, offering expansive views across the city, while the apartment buildings are nestled among mature trees, designed to feel like contemporary pavilions within the landscape. @simpsonandbrown @goodsonassociates Hulley & Kirkwood Photographs by @davidbarbour Aerial photograph by @calahomes

Jordanhill Park: New Homes in an Historic Parkland As we continue our series on recent residential projects, we are pleased to share an update on our collaboration with CALA Homes West at the former Jordanhill College campus in Glasgow’s West End. The historic parkland setting has been reimagined as a vibrant neighbourhood with 406 homes, including townhouses, apartments, and detached houses. Two historic buildings on the site have also been carefully restored and reconfigured to ensure they are safeguarded for future generations. Over 200 homes are now complete, and we’re excited to share new photographs of this unique development in the coming days. @calahomes @simpsonandbrown @goodsonassociates Hulley & Kirkwood Photographs by @davidbarbour Site Plan by 7N Architects

Touching Lightly on the Ground Offering a diverse range of detached villas and terraced townhouses, our Edmonstone Woods development presents a harmonious blend of family-friendly living spaces. Each home type is characterised by a palette of natural and durable materials that echo the tones and textures of the surrounding landscape. The mix of housing has been developed with a focus on family living, with all proposed houses providing four bedrooms. Living areas are strategically positioned to maximise views into surrounding woodland, or across Little France Park and towards Arthur’s Seat. Every home benefits from private gardens and access to high-quality shared amenity spaces The team have really enjoyed working on these proposals and we look forward to seeing progress over the next stages and into 2025. Scott Hobbs Planning Limited @lucinsider @atelier_ten Will Rudd @rettieandco Visualisations by @7n.architects

Living in the Woodland 7N’s proposal for 27 family homes within Edmonstone Woods thoughtfully integrates the residences into the natural landscape, offering a distinct living experience. Each home is designed to harmonise with the woodland surroundings, ensuring high standards of quality, comfort, and accessibility in an immersive, nature-focused setting The complex array of constraints necessitated careful planning to avoid disturbance to mature trees, ancient woodland, as well as the footprint of the historic Edmonstone House and remnants of its stables. As a result, the proposed homes are sensitively integrated into the woodland, arranged along two pedestrian-focused streets and offering extensive views of the surrounding trees. Vehicle movements are carefully controlled around the perimeter of the site, minimizing disruption to the natural setting and prioritizing active travel options for residents. Scott Hobbs Planning Limited @lucinsider @atelier_ten Will Rudd @rettieandco Drawings & photograph by @7n.architects

Edmonstone Woods – Sensitive Housing within a Unique Setting 7N Architects have submitted fresh proposals for Phase 5 of the Edmonstone Masterplan in South West Edinburgh on behalf of a private investor client, which will create 27 family homes within the distinctive woodland setting of Edmonstone Woods. The proposals have been developed in response to changing market demands, from an earlier apartment-led scheme, to one with a lighter touch within this unique site. The approach sensitively nestles the new homes within the woodland environment to create a forest community that is woven into the existing network of woodland trails. The layout of the site and the landscape design, developed with LUC, addresses a complex array of existing conditions, which required careful responses to mature trees, ancient woodland, an interpretation of the footprint of the historic Edmonstone House, as well as the remnants of its former stables buildings. Scott Hobbs Planning @lucinsider @atelier_ten Will Rudd Visualisations by @daakostudio

Making it easy to live sustainably Rowanbank Gardens’ architectural form re-establishes the street edge, using high-quality materials and robust detailing to create a strong civic presence. This perimeter backdrop frames a central landscaped courtyard, fostering a sense of community and tranquillity within the development. A variety of roof forms accentuate the residential character and respond thoughtfully to the site’s diverse surroundings. Central to the project’s vision of placemaking is a pragmatic and accessible approach to sustainable living. By prioritising passive design strategies, the development thoughtfully anticipates future lifestyles through considerations of how people will work, move, socialize, and manage energy in years to come. This is exemplified in the way the building responds to energy use, the encouragement of green transport means, the creation of social green spaces in an urban context, and low energy solutions. The project was one of the first large scale residential projects in Scotland to utilise internal Electric Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) within apartments. These individual ASHP’s provide individual control over energy use for residents, reducing heat density demand, extensive pipe runs, and the associated heat loss that is typically associated with centralized heating networks. The development achieves an average 50% reduction in energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to the Target Emission Rates set by the Scottish Technical Standards, a success that makes us enormously proud. Main Contractor: @crudenhomes Project management: Axiom Project Services Structural engineer: Quattro Consult M&E engineer: @atelier_ten Landscape Architect: @rankinfraserlandscapearch Drawings: @7n.architects Architects

How do we create sustainable communities? A desire to create a sense of community was the heart of our brief for Rowanbank Gardens from @artisan_real_estate. As a client, they recognised the importance of creating a place where people not just want to live, but can also make it feel truly their own. This approach aligned with 7N’s view that a development is most sustainable when the occupants to have an emotional attachment to their home. Emotive notions such as ‘a sense of place’ emerge strongest when social activities are actively encouraged and people are allowed to define their spaces, rather than be defined by them. The south-facing courtyard garden at Rowanbank Gardens has quickly become a hub for daily interactions, where residents share experiences and form connections. In a short time, we have witnessed the emergence of social groups and the blossoming of a vibrant local community. The project’s ‘tenure-blind’ design has further enhanced its quality, with private and affordable apartments finished to the same high standard. This inclusive approach has enhanced the reception of the development across a wide range of residents, from social housing, through mid-market, first-time buyers, families, and down-sizers. For us, this validates our approach to placing community at the heart of placemaking and the value that this brings to any development. Main Contractor: @crudenhomes Project management: Axiom Project Services Structural engineer: Quattro Consult M&E engineer: @atelier_ten Landscape Architect: @rankinfraserlandscapearch Photograph 1: @davidbarbour Site Plan: 7N Architects Photograph 3: @leoparedesphoto

Rowanbank Gardens - A new community centred on sustainable living Our Rowanbank Gardens project reached completion this summer, a significant achievement and one that we were delighted to celebrate with our client Artisan Real Estate. This brownfield project was designed with a comprehensive focus on environmental, economic, and social sustainability, and has garnered notable recognition, winning awards such as RICS ‘Scottish Residential Development of the Year’ and the Scottish Home Awards ‘Apartment Development of the Year.’ Rowanbank Gardens features 126 new mixed-tenure homes, including a high proportion of family accommodation, around a vibrant residents’ courtyard garden. This shared landscape serves as the natural heart of the community, complete with communal growing beds and fruit trees that have become key amenities for new residents. The homes incorporate an industry leading all-electric and fabric-first approach, paired with sustainable systems such as heat recovery to minimise energy use. As a result, Rowanbank Gardens achieves carbon dioxide emission rates well below current regulatory requirements. Seeing this pioneering low-carbon development come to life and set a new benchmark for Edinburgh has been immensely rewarding. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the project over the years, especially our client, @artisan_real_estate, and our design team. Main Contractor: @crudenhomes Project management: Axiom Project Services Structural engineer: Quattro Consult M&E engineer: @atelier_ten Landscape Architect: @rankinfraserlandscapearch Photograph 1: @leoparedesphoto Photographs 2 & 3: @davidbarbour

Our autumn newsletter is out! Check out our latest update for a window into some of the exciting things that have been keeping us busy and inspired. This edition: masterplans from Shetland to Seafield, an update on our transformative project at Fraser Avenue in Fife, and celebating new qualifications for our team members. See the link in our profile.

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