Reward for brownfield housing plan

A SCHEME designed to create sustainable housing and a vibrant community at a city brownfield site has won a prestigious national design award for a Heriot-Watt student.

Michael Bryan, 31, a sustainable community design student, won the Integrated Habitat Design Competition Award 2011, for a plan called ShrubhillWorks.

His proposal is for the redevelopment of a brownfield site on Leith Walk and would involve a combination of new build and the re-development of 19th and 20th century structures.

Mr Bryan said: “New housing projects today tend to focus on the energy reductions available through technological solutions.

“Whilst that’s positive, the down side tends to be that it can actually encourage energy consumption because of reduced energy bills.

“What’s actually needed is a change in people’s lifestyle, which is what a project like this would encourage.”