Two projects were selected for inclusion in the RSA Open Exhibition which runs until 26th January 2014; camping pods for Scottish Canals to be sited along Thomas Telford's Caledonian Canal and speculative proposals for West Port and Kings Stables Yard, Edinburgh that were prepared for the council's 'Cultural Futures' debate
Sunday Times feature Skerrie House Project /
The seaside extension in Anstruther for clients Ian Harding and Clare Checkland featured in last weeks Sunday times Home edition, quoted as 'Britain's cosiest grand design'.
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/homes_and_gardens/Improve/article1334415.ece
Hidden Doors Art Festival Success /
We were delighted to have been selected along with approximately 30 others (out of almost 250 competition entries) to participate in the Hidden Doors Art festival. The festival in March aims to bring life to the East market street Vaults in Edinburgh. Our proposal involves a highly visible temporary structure 'moulded' from the space inside the vaults, that will connect several events spaces and be used as a performance area and breakout zone. We are looking forward to collaborating with the Hidden Doors and other artists over the coming months as the design develops. http://www.hiddendoor.or
Fully fabricated canals camping pod successfully delivered /
The prototype camping pod has been delivered to Scottish Canal's yard in Glasgow from Makar Construction, its fabricators in Inverness. Galt Transport managed the manoeuvre which involved travelling down the A9 through the Grampians and lifting over walls and safely past high voltage electricity pylons. The prototype will now be scruntised and modifications reviewed for eventual production of further pods for the Caledonian Canal.
Fruitmarket Gallery - shortlisted /
Oliver Chapman Architects have been invited to present ideas for to the board for extending the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh's leading independent gallery for contemporary art.
New build planning success in Edinburgh's World Heritage Site /
These proposals for new town houses in Gayfield Square were approved by the City of Edinburgh's planning committee last week. Designed on three levels, they are equivalent in scale to compact Georgian town houses found elsewhere in the new town which have their principal living level on the first upper floor. The special condition of the end house turns the oblique angled corner into a small back lane. A two storey recessed pocket in it's stone elevation allows it's living room to have a privileged raised view past a small terrace towards the trees in the square. A limited amount of parking is in the base of the building, using the natural slope of the street to conceal it from the street
First Caledonian Canal camping pod takes shape /
Nice to see the prototype underway at Makar's workshop near Inverness. Seeing our building inside theirs makes it seem even more reminiscent of our first project 'Bed Box' - a bed wardrobe furniture unit installed in a drawing room for clients in Edinburgh back in 2000. We like the twisting movement the diagonal ridge creates and are looking forward to seeing the charred black larch and mirrored cladding going on later this month
Merchiston apartments break ground /
Ogilvie Contractors has begun construction work on our project for 11 apartments in Merchiston, Edinburgh. The building occupies a site indicated in the original Victorian feu pattern, but was never developed. Its scale is similar to the villas that characterise the area, but its architectural expression differs from these, substituting bay windows for balconies at eroded corners and expressing individual apartments as forms slipped past one another.
Success at Scottish Design Awards 2013 /
Congratulations to Chambers MacMillan for 'Ramp House' which has won the Chairman's Award for Architecture.It was also the winner in the residential category. Oliver Chapman Architects assisted by providing technical support. Skerrie House, Anstruther received a commendation in the same category
Nominations for Scottish Design Awards /
We are delighted that two projects we have been involved with are shortlisted against only one other project in the category of best small residential development in the Scottish Design Awards. Our projects are Skerrie House which was designed for Ian Harding and Clare Checkland and Ramp House for which we provided technical design support for Ian and Thea McMillan.
Architects Journal Feature /
Nice to see this project in the Architects Journal this week (07.03.12 number 9 volume 237). The feature is on the internet but restricted to subscribers unfortunately. We've added a summary in a project page on this website. It's been great working with our clients Ian and Thea McMillan, both architects who led the design of the project and now how their own practice Chambers McMillan up and running. We wish them great success with their exciting venture
Scottish Canals | Caledonian Canal Camping Pods /
Scottish Canals have appointed OIiver Chapman Architects and Urban Animation to design a number of camping pods along the Caledonian Canal. Taking inspiration from Highland crofters box beds, the vernacular furniture sleeping compartments, these cabins will serve the increasing number of active tourists who trail by boat, bike and on foot along the canal towpath and Great Glen Way.
Guardian magazine /
Great to see our little project Skerrie House in Anstruther featured in the Guardian magazine today. Hope Clare's okay seeing everything inside her cupboards laid bare . . . Nice photos by Dave Morris and copy by Caroline Ednie. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/nov/30/homes-between-sea-sky?INTCMP=SRCH
Cultural Futures | Edinburgh /
Join us for an evening of drinks and conversation and to view images of speculative ideas for Edinburgh's cultural future.
Oliver Chapman Architects and 3D architectural visualisation experts shovemedia have been approached by Riccardo Marini, the City of Edinburgh Council’s city design leader, to do some blue sky thinking for this month’s Cultural Summit Event. Four sites in Edinburgh were identified where there is potential for making new cultural venues, supported by a mix of commercial uses, which make distinctive places rather than simply making more cultural monuments.This is an exhibition of one of the sites, Argyle House, West Port and King Stables Road.This incredible site in the shadow of the Castle could hold cultural futures for among others Scottish Chamber Orchestra, The Bongo Club and Edinburgh Filmhouse
Wednesday, 28th November 2012, 5:30-8pm, Schop Gallery 36 St Mary's Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SX
Funding secured for Edinburgh Printmakers /
We're delighted that our work with Edinburgh Printmakers resulted in a successful provisional award of £1.7m capital grant. It is the largest of sixteen projects in Scotland supported by Creative Scotland announced last week, in this round of awards for creative spaces which total £15m.
Funding secured for Edinburgh Printmakers /
We're delighted that our work with Edinburgh Printmakers resulted in a successful provisional award of £1.7m capital grant. It is the largest of sixteen projects in Scotland supported by Creative Scotland announced last week, in this round of awards for creative spaces which total £15m
Barrell House /
Our larch clad extension to a modern home in Dunblane is complete. Just waiting for a sunnier day to take nicer pictures. Even on this dull day you can see the effect of daylight coming in to the dining area through the long roof light
Feature in Coast Magazine /
Coast magazine features our Skerrie House project in Anstruther this month
'Experiments in Architecture' | Summer Academy /
As part of Schop Institute and Summerhall's collaborative Architecture Academy in July, Edinburgh school students occupied a vacant lab at Summerhall, the former Royal Dick veterinary school at the east end of the Meadows, Edinburgh. This lively new arts venue gave the participants a taste of the varied learning environment similar to that in higher education. As well as taking part in design studio challenges and model making exercises, the students were given illustrated talks and taken on guided visits to an architect’s practice, a building under construction, the department of architecture at the University of Edinburgh and a tour of Edinburgh’s old town.
The week culminated in a design exercise. The aspiring architects designed a fantastical towering mix of uses including a new type of ethical bank, a Japanese Noh dance studio and Big Brother style apartment for visiting architects.
The course builds on Schop Institue’s Making Architecture evening classes which run in the autumn each year at Schop Institute’s office in St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh. Schop is an initiative of Oliver Chapman Architects to widen participation in the study of architecture and the city.
Schop plans to repeat this course in summer 2013. Contact us early to secure a place | admin@schop.org.uk
Double Success at the Scottish Home Awards 2012 /
We are delighted that our conversion of the former Courier Newspaper buildings in Haddington into affordable housing and offices for East Lothian housing Association and Whiteadder developments received 2 prizes at this years Scottish Home Awards. The project won the 'Small Affordable Housing development of the year award' and was highly commended in the 'conversion of the year award' category