This proposed development is for the construction of 9. no new dwelling houses, located on land at South Street East, Leslie in Fife. Leslie was, for a long time, the most significant settlement in central Fife before the development of nearby Glenrothes in the decades after WWII. The town is therefore characterised by a significant history, with three main historical development phases – the establishment of the Old Town from the medieval period, the addition of the planned New Town and the industrial expansion of the town in the 18th and 19th centuries, and development during the 20th century. The site at the centre of these proposals sits between both the Old Town and New Town therefore our design approach will be fundamental in addressing the existing urban patterns and established historical context.

When first examining the site, the initial steps were to remove the existing garage structures on the site and understand the extent of the existing stone wall on the site which is listed. We then examined the nature of development to the north of South Street East and established a notional stepped building line which we later refined to an angled line. This then informed the location of a new stone wall which would serve as a reference to the existing listed stone wall ensuring the narrative of the historic layers of the site was not lost. This new stone wall also acts as the threshold between the public space and private space of the individual dwellings.

At ground floor level penetrations are carved out of the stone wall to form pedestrian and vehicular entrance to the dwellings. At the upper levels zinc clad pitched-roofed forms have been designed to rest on the stone wall and cantilever over it further reinforcing the narrative of the local vernacular architecture. The solution is a simple but very strong concept with ideas rooted in the history of the site accommodating 5 detached units and 4 semi-detached units on the site.

Currently the project is awaiting submission for a full planning application.