10 Years of 7N Architects

10 Years of Practice and Ideas

To celebrate ten years of practice, we have put together this book of projects and ideas to mark the occasion and reflect on the path we have travelled since 7N Architects were founded in 2009.

It is dedicated, with many thanks, to all of our clients, colleagues and collaborators who have put their faith in us and supported us on this exciting journey.

2009

Phoenix Flowers, Glasgow An award winning public realm intervention reclaiming a hostile motorway environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

The project has transformed the inhospitable barrier of an elevated motorway into an appealing route to regenerate the wider area and radically revitalise the public realm.

In collaboration with rankinfraser landscape architecture.

2010

Inverness Campus A regional centre for innovation, research, education and business, embedded in the Scottish Highland landscape. A linear park within the heart of the Campus is focused on views of the mountains to the north, drawing the dramatic landscape deep into the site while providing a cohesive character around which the diverse range of occupiers have established their own identities.

In collaboration with the Lisa Mackenzie Consultancy.

2011

Westfield, Edinburgh This award winning project adopted a holistic approach to designing affordable, sustainable, housing to transform a forgotten backland site into a vibrant mixed use neighbourhood.

Each building is oriented towards the greenery of the Water of Leith, ensuring all of the residents enjoy a river view, as well as opening up new pedestrian and cycle routes to the river. The green landscape permeates the site in a mixture of planted public realm and secure private gardens.

2012

Charrettes/Town Centre Toolkit 7N Architects have been at the forefront of developing community led planning in Scotland.

The practice has led more than fifteen Charrettes, working with communities, public bodies and landowners to debate and decide the future of their towns and villages. These Charrettes have created a common vision for the future of places where people live and work, grounding planning policies, action plans and community initiatives in the needs and aspirations of local communities. Our work with the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park has helped to shape a new approach to planning policy in Scotland, where design led community engagement defines the agenda for Local Development Plans.

Town Centre Masterplanning Toolkit November 2014

Green Residential Street

• Continue to enhance and support Main Street improvements

Main Street

Town Centre

Main Street

Green Residential Street

Community Hub

• Rationalise and enhance existing community resources

• Develop extra leisure and hotel opportunities to east

Riverside Loop New Connection

Activity Hub

• New pedestrian/cycle and road river crossing point

• Link road to provide options and diversity of routes within the town

• Satellite parking and associated outdoor Future Growth activity resource which can be used for larger-scale outdoor events • Identify best location for growth areas which are sensitive to the landscape setting

Natural Green Threshold

Avoid flood plain areas and promote best practice which accommodates long term climate change

• Develop extra leisure and hotel opportunities to east

• Improve the arrival experience for Callander

2013

Glasgow City Centre Strategy 7N developed the strategy for Glasgow City Council to transform the experience of the city centre environment, for both citizens and visitors. The aim was to make the city a more people centred place by shifting the balance from vehicles to pedestrians and cyclists. The 'Avenues' concept was developed by 7N as a key strand of the strategy to create a network of green routes within Glasgow’s street grid, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to easily and safely navigate through the city centre and connect to the surrounding neighbourhoods.

2014

Edinburgh International Business Gateway The International Business Gateway will create a six million sq.ft, business led, mixed use district adjacent to Edinburgh Airport at the gateway to one of the world's great cities. The masterplan marks a shift away from standard business park models to create a vibrant, mixed use place that will stay active throughout the day and night. This placemaking strategy will see business spaces, homes, hotels and education facilities form a new urban environment defined by high-quality green streets, active public spaces and landscapes that frame views of the surrounding hills and bridges.

In collaboration with Horner + Maclennan landscape architects.

2015

Fountainbridge, Edinburgh The Fountainbridge project represents a groundbreaking initiative by the City of Edinburgh Council, utilising publicly owned land to regenerate a pivotal site and provide affordable homes in the heart of the city. 7N developed the placemaking and development strategy through extensive engagement with the local community. The masterplan will create a high density, mixed-use, mixed-tenure neighbourhood which will bring new life to the canalside and surrounding area. The place will be woven together by a people-centred public realm where pedestrians and cyclists are prioritised in a largely car free environment.

2016

University of Glasgow Masterplan A major campus expansion for one of Scotland’s oldest universities, creating a vibrant place to stimulate groundbreaking learning and research. Drawing on the University of Glasgow's key strategic principles of People, Place and Purpose, 7N’s placemaking approach focused on bringing people together in a dynamic urban environment to cultivate progressive, collaborative research - a place that will enhance the student experience and encourage greater integration between the academic and local communities and entrepreneurial businesses.

In collaboration with AECOM.

2017

Jordanhill Park, Glasgow A new parkland neighbourhood in an extraordinary, historic setting on the site of the former Jordanhill College campus, in the West End of Glasgow. The 400 new homes comprising a mix of townhouses, apartments, detached houses and three refurbished historic buildings have all been designed to engage with the landscape. Our sensitive approach to the setting has retained the best of the historic parkland, which is complemented by new green landscape and public realm design, which offers residents the chance to enjoy living in a mature parkland estate.

In collaboration with Horner + Maclennan landscape architects.

2018

Fraser Avenue, Inverkeithing 7N worked with Fife Council, Kingdom Housing Association and the local community to transform a 1960's housing estate in Inverkeithing, Fife, which was one of the most disadvantaged areas in Scotland and no longer fit for purpose. The project involved an extensive engagement process with residents, who felt alienated by their environment which lacked a sense of belonging. 7N’s masterplan addresses this through a placemaking framework where every space has a clear purpose and defined sense of ownership, creating a new neighbourhood which is woven into the social and physical fabric of the area.

In collaboration with rankinfraser landscape architecture.

2019

Fountainbridge Housing, Edinburgh Since gaining Planning Permission in Principle for the Fountainbridge Masterplan in 2015, and detailed consent in 2016, 7N have developed detailed plans for 434 mixed tenure, low carbon homes. The project represents a civic investment in placemaking by the City of Edinburgh Council and forms part of a major initiatve to deliver more affordable homes in the city centre.

2020

Western Harbour, Edinburgh Edinburgh's successful growth has led to an increasingly acute challenge of rising housing costs and a shortage of affordable homes.

The Western Harbour project is a collaborative initiative between Forth Ports and The City of Edinburgh Council that will deliver over 1,600 managed rent homes on reclaimed land in the Port of Leith on Edinburgh's waterfront. 7N have developed the placemaking framework for the area and detailed proposals for the initial neighbourhood of 938 new homes which will surround a new civic park.

In collaboration with rankinfraser landscape architecture.

2021

The Knab, Lerwick, Shetland 7N's masterplan for the former Anderson High School site in Lerwick re-purposes an important civic asset to meet the future needs of the Shetland community. The masterplan creates a new neighbourhood which interprets the historic forms and spaces which have evolved in Lerwick over time and revitalises historic buildings which are retained on the site.

The buildings are arranged to give protection from the worst of the harsh climate so the spaces between the buildings become useful, sheltered and characterful places.

In collaboration with rankinfraser landscape architecture.

2022

The University Village, Edinburgh 7N's placemaking strategy for the University Village in West Edinburgh forms part of Murray Estates' wider Garden District initiative. The strategy proposes a mixed use district which will weave together Heriot Watt University's Edinburgh Campus with the disadvantaged western edges of the city, to drive inclusive economic growth.

Residential Residential

Transport Hub

Research Park

Heriot-Watt University

M

Village Centre

R

Electric Bus Connecting Loop via Edinburgh Park

Edinburgh Napier University Sighthill Campus

Industrial Estate

Existing Neighbourhoods

Residential

New bridge link

Existing Neighbourhoods

Mixed Use

e e

Schools Mixed Use

Residential

Wester Hailes Station

Residential

Existing Neighbourhoods

Making places that make a difference

7N Architects 7 Randolph Place, Edinburgh EH3 7TE T +44 (0) 131 220 5541  www.7narchitects.com info@7narchitects.com