Our clients for this project are the owners of two adjoining retail units on the High Street in Portobello. Currently on the site there are two retail units in a state of disuse and disrepair. Our clients approached us to investigate how the site could be better utilised and redeveloped to create a building more suitable and fitting for the High Street setting.

We developed a brief with our clients to redevelop the site to create a new retail unit at ground floor level with 11 residential apartments above. It was essential that this was to be designed in a sympathetic manner as the site is at the heart of the Portobello conservation area and is directly facing the B-Listed Portobello Police Station.

The proposals comprise of a mixture of one, two and three bedroomed apartments. A communal external amenity space is proposed to the rear of the site which all of the apartment inhabitants would have access to. At ground floor level there are dedicated stores for bicycles for the inhabitants to use along with ample space for suitable refuse and recycling facilities.

Given the location of the site on the High Street of Portobello, it was essential that the proposals tied in with the local context so the primary material for the front and side elevation is natural sandstone. The mansard roof is proposed to be clad in zinc cladding so that its colour and texture ties in with the existing roofscape which is dominated by dark grey natural slate. The windows along the Beach Lane elevation have been angled towards the high street to ensure that they do not directly overlook the Police Station.

The fenestration design to the front elevation has been carefully considered so that the proposals tie in with the scale, proportion and rhythm of the fenestration to the existing High Street buildings. The front corner of the proposed building has been intentionally cut but so that the view from the High Street of the Police Station clocktower is maintained.

Block Nine Architects believe in the design and construction of sustainable projects and that as architects and designers, we have a fundamental responsibility to deliver environmentally sound buildings without compromising function or aesthetic. Their vision for this development is to deliver the project using sustainable methods of construction, design innovation, materials and renewable energy. The units are proposed to be heated by Air Source Heat Pump units located on the roof to reduce reliance on fossil fuels for heating. A sedum roof and attenuation tanks have also been incorporated within the proposals which will enhance the overall sustainability of the building, promote bio-diversity on the site and reduce reliance on the local drainage provision in periods of intense rainfall.

Another key tool which has helped inform the design was undertaking sun studies and overshadowing analysis of the proposed mass to ensure the proposals did not negatively impact on the surrounding building and private gardens.

The aim of the redevelopment of the site is to provide a variety of much needed high-quality housing in the Portobello area while also completing and enhancing the continuity of the High Street character in a sensitive, contemporary and sustainable manner.

The project has recently secured Planning Permission, with works due to commence on site early 2025.