Draw inspiration from millennials for Scots cities of the future - Oliver Wilson
I’m sure visitors to the city now have the same formative view with the castle as the centrepiece and the logic and symmetry of the adjacent New Town.
However, it’s not until you live, work and play in a city that you really notice that each has its own character and style and that they are never finished – constantly evolving from one generation to the next.
Industry often dictates change. The transformation of major cities in Scotland is evident from the number of cranes across the skyline. As an architect, I see this as a good thing. It means the promise of big renewal projects and a chance to find new purposes for underused and neglected spaces.
Policy makers and city planners want to improve cities and bring derelict land into use, says Wilson. Picture: Nick Caville
As a student in Liverpool I watched how city planners and architects worked together to turn the derelict and disused Albert Dock area into a new commercial, residential and cultural landmark.
City populations are set to keep expanding and more homes will be needed. Forecasts show that millennials will make up 40 per cent of the workforce by 2030. Quite apart from the desire of this age group to live in the city, there is also the reality of the climate emergency, with the younger generation eager to walk and cycle to reduce environmental impact.
The pendulum is shifting to favour living in urban areas. That is why there is a move towards mixed-use developments. In many cities, this type of living is commonplace, normally when land is at a premium. Property owners, investors and developers see many opportunities to maximise limited land use and to create places where people want to live.
This is reflected by policy makers and city planners who want to improve the city centre and bring derelict land into productive use. BDP’s Glasgow studio designed Buchanan Gardens, a residential development of 49 apartments above a major retail space on the city’s main shopping thoroughfare.
The apartments are designed to offer contemporary living in the heart of the city but incorporate existing architectural features – one entrance uses the original facade of The Baltic Chambers. All have been awarded eco-home status, in keeping with the next generation’s strong environmental concerns.
A sense of community is also increasingly important as an antidote to the isolation and stress of single city living. Our design includes communal areas encouraging interaction and inclusivity, with opportunities to meet and spend time with neighbours further encouraged by a shared sky garden.
Many apartments also have their own private outdoor spaces to promote an appreciation of the outdoors in the heart of the city, with terraces and balconies away from the busy streets below.
Back in Edinburgh, BDP is collaborating with other architects to design and deliver Edinburgh St James, with an emphasis on mixed-use development. This is one of the largest and most significant urban regeneration projects currently underway in the UK. It will include 85 retail units, more than 30 catering units, 152 homes, a 244-bedroom five-star hotel, 75-room aparthotel, a five-screen cinema and 1,600 car parking spaces.
When working on these landmark projects, our priority must be to create buildings and communities that will last. Projects in the city should also be about community and wellbeing, developing neighbourhoods featuring a mix of homes, shops, offices, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Architecture should be about creating spaces that allow people to feel good. It is also about buildings that last and may be regenerated in the future. I look out of my office window and still see empty spaces above shops. That is an opportunity for a new home.
Oliver Wilson, Architect Director at BDP
Related posts:
