Barlia

The Barlia project comprises the delivery of 42 new affordable homes for Cassiltoun HA across three brownfield sites in Castlemilk.  Evolving from an earlier feasibility study of vacant land in the area, each site presented a distinct set of challenges, from steeply sloping ground and mature woodland to demolition, access and infrastructure constraints.

The three developments respond individually to their settings, ranging from a flatted infill block on Barlia Drive to an elevated site on Barlia Street, and a more secluded courtyard-style development at Barlia Terrace.  Across each, our design seeks to work with the existing topography, limiting unnecessary ground remodelling to create attractive and pedestrian focussed environments with planting and landscape used to establish character and identity.

This site-specific approach carries through into the individual units on each site too; a varied mix of common-close flats, cottage flats and three storey townhouses provide homes which are suited to the specific nuances of each site.  Where conventional external space is limited, winter garden pods provide residents with valuable private amenity and form a distinctive part of the overall architectural language.  A shared palette of buff and red brick creates continuity across the three locations, with red and grey winter gardens arranged in stacked and staggered configurations to add depth and rhythm.

Despite their differing contexts, the three sites are brought together through a coherent architectural, landscape and environmental approach, creating a recognisable family of buildings in which each development is configured to respond to its own unique setting.