Mannsfield Place, Avoch

Client: HHA (Highland Housing Alliance) and Cairn Housing Association

: WGC Scotland

Located on the periphery of the historic fishing village of Avoch, on the Black Isle, this project strives to provide affordable housing to the local area, making use of a challenging unused site. The designs endeavour to robustly address the steep topography of the location, as well as the area’s historic local context, demand for affordable high quality housing in the Highlands, and future proofing issues around sustainability. The project is developed in conjunction with our clients HHA (the Highland Housing Association) and Cairn Housing Alliance.

The development incorporates a mixture of affordable housing typologies, based on a known local demand. The properties are designed to echo traditional highland homes, utilising pitched roof forms, and predominantly one and half storey massing. The buildings consist of a timber kit construction, clad in larch. The external envelopes are well insulated and utilise air source heat pump technology, keeping the heating bills low for building occupiers, while also avoiding the use of finite energy sources. The development was completed in July 2021, and has since been met with a positive response from both residents and the wider Highland community. The Mannsfield Place development was devised to meet vital affordable housing needs in the Highlands, benefitting from the partnership of engaged and forward-thinking clients. The resultant scheme endeavours to positively contribute to the prevailing local characteristics of the scenic village of Avoch, while also providing energy efficient and contemporary homes that address modern needs.