Replacement amenity housing in Elgin on behalf of Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association, comprising 21 new two-bedroom apartments including three wheelchair accessible cottages.

At the heart of the development is a communal garden and key to the design of the scheme was higher density accommodation which provides a ‘bookend’ to the north and a row of three cottages to the south which address the street and tie into the residential scale of the existing dwellings opposite minimising overshadowing.

Located adjacent to the existing flood plain area within Elgin, this project involved the demolition of existing flatted properties containing sheltered units. Cameron + Ross was appointed by client as part of an initial appraisal exercise, in an attempt to modernise and upgrade the existing building however the site redevelopment was delayed awaiting implementation of the Elgin Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The eventual scheme was a £3.5 million timber clad residential block together with associated car parking, drainage and road improvement works. New ground floors were set to a level agreed with Moray Council’s flood prevention unit which to mitigate damage by any exceptional flood circumstances were constructed using flood resilient methods.

Sustainability and low running costs were a core aspect of the design concept. We worked closely with client’s sustainability adviser Gaia to meet the project’s targets in terms of sustainability resulting in an above ground floor structure of highly insulated deep profile timber frame walls and timber cladding.

One of the main challenges on the scheme was the existing foul and surface water drainage differed to that anticipated which led to reappraisal and amended design for which we gained approval prior to site start having worked closely with the Client and Contractor to ensure the solution was acceptable.

Road consent was agreed with Moray Council Roads Authority for the remodelled access to the development together with an improved footpath along the site frontage onto Haugh Road. This involved amendments to the existing Traffic Order for which Cameron + Ross provided expert advice.