November 1 2017

A development of 94 Colony-style homes at Leith Fort has been completed by CCG on behalf of Port of Leith Housing Association and City of Edinburgh Council.Adopting a modern twist on the colonies concept the homes are built as double flats with the upper flats front door on the opposite side to the lower portions front door, enabling each half to benefit from its own front garden.Jakub Stojek, one of the first to move into one of the new homes in July, said: “I quickly became fascinated with a colourful history attached to the place – originally built in 1780 as military base to defend Leith against the American navy, in the second half of the 20th century it made way for a housing estate.“High quality, low cost and energy efficient housing is simply out of reach for many people in Edinburgh, so these mid-market rent homes offer one solution to the problem.“It’s very unusual to see a modern take on the colony-style houses that are so characteristic of Edinburgh, and I think that makes Leith Fort an important place for Leith and Edinburgh. There’s definitely lots of potential for a very strong community to develop here.”Collective Architecture delivered the scheme, which was originally developed up to planning by Malcolm Fraser Architects. Harrison Stevens provided the landscape design.