Not So Fair



News that the Highland Housing Fair will not go ahead as planned this year, unsurprising given the depressed state of the housing / property sectors in Scotland currently.

This was a major initiative that the RIAS - under former leader Mary Wren - was involved in.

Highland Housing Fair - house images



Highland Housing Fair - winners:

A&J Burridge
aim design
Alan Holling THC
Andrew Black Design
Bracewell Stirling
Brennan & Wilson
David Blaikie Architects
David Somerville
Graeme Massie Architects: 2 plots
Graham Mitchell Architects
HLM architects: 2 plots
jm architects: 2 plots
John Gilbert Architects
Joseph Thurrott
Keppie: 2 plots
Locate Architects
Malcolm Fraser Architects: 2 plots
NJSR McLean Architects
NORD
Oliver Chapman Architects
Richard Murphy Architects
Rural Design
Studio KAP
Trevor Black Architects

Highland Housing Fair - News Update Nov 2007
Organisers of the UK's very first Housing Fair have now announced that it will take place in the Highlands of Scotland throughout the whole of August 2009.

The Highland Housing Fair will be based on a model found throughout mainland Europe, particularly Finland. Its purpose is to showcase the best in housing design and innovation, with sustainability being the key theme throughout. In Finland, where such fairs have been running for 40 years, 97% of the population are aware of the concept.

It will be held on a site at Balvonie, on the outskirts of Inverness. Other important themes will be design, innovation, affordability and energy efficiency. It is supported by a consortium of agencies, including the Scottish Government.

The fair will comprise an exciting and diverse range of more than 50 architecturally-designed homes, which will all be available to purchase or rent. Of these, 40% will be affordable and 60% will be available on the free market.

Architects and developers that will create homes on the site were selected via a competition launched in January. Accredited by RIAS, the competition invited architects and developers to compete for plots at the site. Successful designs that were chosen for the Fair include the The Timber House by John Gilbert Architects and The Stone House by NORD Architecture.

Fiona Porteous, Fair coordinator, said: "Having selected the winners from the competition, we are thrilled to now be able to announce that the inaugural Highland Housing Fair will take place in Inverness during August 2009.

"As the organisation starts to gather momentum and the countdown to 2009 commences, we are starting to see the project taking shape. The premise is to lead by example - we want to take a positive step towards changing the housing market for the better, instead of simply talking about it."




credit Cadell2: image received from RIAS 260307

HIGHLAND HOUSING FAIR COMPETITION - March 2007

Over 120 other architects/developers registered for the HHF Competition, confirming significant shared interest in competing on the basis of design to showcase innovative and sustainable house designs.

Highland Housing Alliance has considered all the registrations and has made plot allocations to all who responded. Each of the 27 plots has between 5 and 21 entrants in competition; the field of competitors is balanced within each housing type.

Details of individual allocations, together with further briefing material and a CD with updated drawings and a comprehensive urban design framework document, including plot and sustainability codes, has been despatched to registrants.

Entries are due on 4 May.

The RIAS Independent Assessor will be David Page of Page\Park Architects. The jury will also include Raymond Young, Chairman of Architecture and Design Scotland. Further details of the jury and technical assessment panel are being finalised.

Judging will be conducted on a plot-by-plot basis. It is hoped to announce the judges’ decisions on Friday 1 June.

A single digital image of each entry to the competition (as chosen by the entrant) will be displayed anonymously at the SIX CITIES DESIGN FESTIVAL

The six cities of Scotland – Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling – will host the country’s first nationwide international design festival between 17 May and 3 June, promoting and celebrating Scottish design. (Further details at www.six-cities.com) Each city had its own theme. Inverness it is Home: Environment, focussing on sustainable design for our homes and lifestyles. A major new exhibition Design for Life will look at sustainable housing design in Scotland, with part of the exhibition showcasing entries for the Highland Housing Fair. The exhibition will be held at Castle Wynd Inverness between the above dates. The exhibition is independent of the judging process.

Eastgate Shopping Centre : Inverness building

Eden Theatre & Cinema : Inverness theatre

Inverness Airport Business Park : Inverness airport building

Castle Stuart, Tornagrain: Inverness community

Culloden Battlefield Visitors Centre: Inverness Area building

House, Ross-shire: Highlands house

Maggies Highlands : Maggies Inverness

Scottish Natural Heritage HQ Building: Inverness architecture

Whiteness Head, Ardersier: Highlands new town



Inverness Conference

World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

Scottish Buildings

Inverness Architecture Jobs

Comments / photos for the Highland Housing Fair page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk

Highland Housing Fair : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt