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Allotment Meeting Room, Mackenzie Place, Edinburgh
Author: Caroline Ednie
Project: Allotment Meeting Room, Mackenzie Place, Edinburgh
Architect: Sutherland Hussey Architects
Location: Stockbridge, Edinburgh
Client: Edinburgh City Council
Completed: tbc. April 2012
Cost: £50,000
In September 2010 Sutherland Hussey Architects were approached by Edinburgh City Council with an invitation to design a small meeting hut for a new allotment site being proposed along the south-west edge of Mackenzie Place in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh - a conservation area and also on the edge of the designated World Heritage Area.
Edinburgh City Council's approach to the architects was precipitated by: "the significance of the site, and its relative ‘exposure’ within the historic fabric of the city (which) necessitated a building that would be of the highest design aspirations, commensurate with the historic surroundings," according to the architects.
Site
The existing site is unused ground with a stone retaining wall (complete with inbuilt cellars) to the south eastern boundary of the development. Adjacent to the site is to the north-west Mackenzie Place, a small cul de sac with public gardens, and the Water of Leith. To the south-west sits a detached Georgian house with a residents car park serving India Place adjacent to the north-east boundary. Beyond the stone retaining wall is a steep embankment with mature trees comprising part of the Moray Place Bank Gardens.
Location Plan
Proposed Site Plan
Layout Plan © Gross Max
An important part of the development is the relationship between the 21 allotments and the public street. Plans include a mixed hedge boundary to Mackenzie Place, acting as a partial screen to allow privacy whilst still offering the public a glimpse of the allotments beyond. A raised planter of railway sleepers, which will include a number of small speciment trees, defines the remaining boundary area. The edge of the boundary will feature reclaimed cobbles, a feature that chimes with the existing paving in the New Town Conservation area.
The stone retaining wall and cellars will be repaired and reinstated and will act as storage areas for the allotments.
Model View
Allotment Meeting Room
In terms of the 'hut', design, the proposal is conceived as a Gatehouse to the allotment. The single volume timber building is wedge-shaped in plan to take up the irregular nature of the site and is intentionally prominent to signify the entrance as approached along Mackenzie Place (or from over St Bernards Bridge).
Materials will complement the organic materials and 'texture' of the allotments with black stained vertical timber battens for the cladding and recesses clad in black stained tongue and groove timber. The roof is black zinc standing seam. As the building opens out to the south-west the internal space opens out to the courtyard with concertina doors, which will be aluminium framed to complement the black external walls and white internal tones.
Essentially the buidling is, in the grand tradition of gatehouses, both modest in size but monumental in scale.
Model View
The Mackenzie Place Allotments development is the result of an Edinburgh City Council strategy (and part funded by Edinburgh World Heritage). The project will be overseen by The Federation of Edinburgh and District Allotments and Gardens Associations. The allotments were granted planning permission in early 2011 and the perimeter fence / planting and Meeting Room received planning approval in November 2011.
Sutherland Hussey are currently developing tender information to enable the project to be completed for the end of April 2012.
Some controversy has surrounded this small scale project. To read more about the reaction of local residents to the design of the Meeting Room and the response of architect Charlie Hussey, click on the following website link: www.fedaga.org.uk
Floor Plan
Elevation
Above: Mackenzie Place Allotments: Street View
Main Image: Mackenzie Place Allotments
All images © Sutherland Hussey Architects