Designing a Community Network in a growing sustainable settlement.
Design Brief
A design proposal for the Midlothian’s newest settlement, Shawfair aims to invent new ways of living sustainably. The design intends to create innovative solutions for environmental and social wellbeing. A time-based approach is used to create an adaptive and flexible community network using principles of the urban acupuncture theory.
Shawfair, Midlothian, Scotland
The University of Edinburgh - MSc Advanced Sustainable Design 2021
"Urban Acupuncture" as a tool for designing the Shawfair community
Urban Acupuncture is integrated in the town fabric, it sets a foundation that allows the community to develop from the acupuncture points. When points of activity are designed collectively, this forms a recreational district which encourages dense use by occupants at the risk of deficiencies developing elsewhere but, if these key activity points are dispersed throughout a town, they can act as pin points for linking the community together through an active network of key destinations. Urban acupuncture aims to reclaim land to the public and emphasizes the importance of community development. Small design interventions will simultaneously promote activity, connectivity and space to pause among an urban settlement.
Proposed Design Interventions at Shawfair
Summary of Outcomes
