BuildEdinburgh: Design notes

Tiny lounges for single-person households

Editor — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:24:49 GMT

ANY more than three or four people and it would be pretty unbearable.

But a lounge (or living room) of circa 4m by 3.2m can pretty much suffice for a single person and two or three guests.

Especially if the room is dual aspect, with a focal point, which could be a TV but could just as easily be an inglenook fireplace that’s around 170cm wide.

You can get two, 140cm-long sofas in a 4m x 3.2m space.

And should there be a fireplace at around 170cm wide, that provides more than enough space for 100cm-plus cupboards / shelves on either side.

Perfect for placing a TV on.

Images: copyright Mike Wilson

Street lighting

Editor — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 19:15:15 GMT

STREET lighting these days is not just about design - although these images are all about design - but about the potential impact on wildlife, not least moths (as noted, here, by the charity, Butterfly Conservation).

Some local authorities in the UK are experimenting with dimming - and even switching off - their street lights, to both save money and to reduce light pollution.

Check out this: a ‘Street Lighting Toolkit’, from the Scottish Futures Trust.

Main image: Edinubrgh; copyright all images Mike Wilson

Pavements and drainage

Editor — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:49:40 GMT

THERE is some beautiful paving in parts of Edinburgh, such as Quartermile and St Stephen Street, in Stockbridge.

If the likes of the city centre is to be refurbished, we need to be inspired by what is possible.

Waterside housing

Editor — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:18:39 GMT

APARTMENT blocks, well served with balconies, seem to be the now common design response to waterfront locations.

But - although we have no pictures to illustrate - the high-pitched roofs of Bergen’s, narrow waterfront buildings, in Norway, are an option.

The beauty of a gentle curve

Editor — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:08:52 GMT

SPEAKS for itself? And it almost certainly slows down any vehicular traffic.

Awnings

Editor — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 19:27:00 GMT

BOLOGNA, in Italy, is famous for its colonnades, but most towns suffice with awnings, to protect people from the elements and to encourage ‘window shopping’.

Tiled shop entrances

Editor — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:50:00 GMT

MOSTLY from a previous era, these tiled shop entrances speak of both commercial and civic pride…

Street bins

Editor — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:46:00 GMT

GUESS which ones are in Edinburgh?

Shop, pub and cafe signs

Editor — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:26:00 GMT

NO street should be without its visual delights. And, as this selection of images illustrates, it’s not that difficult to provide…

Public seating

Editor — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 20:49:00 GMT

WE probably need more seating in all our streets: for people to rest their weary legs, to be able to sit down for a chat, to take a moment and to sort out their shopping…

But they need to be kept tidy and well-maintained.

Entrances to underground car parking

Editor — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 18:37:00 GMT

IT might add substantial costs to the building of an apartment block, but the attractions of underground car parking for residents are several, including a guaranteed parking bay and the prospect of increased security and protection from the weather (such as winter frosts).

Plus, it takes cars off the streets (potentially saving on land and certainly sav…

Single front doors

Editor — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:40:00 GMT

SOMEONE’S knocking at the door, somebody’s ringing the bell…

Brick and tile facades

Editor — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 18:33:00 GMT

THERE are several factors that require to be considered when choosing facade materials, not least fire safety and weathering. And then there is beauty, which brick and tile seem to effortlessly achieve…

Timber and metal

Editor — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:42:00 GMT

TIMBER and metal? Larch and zinc? Or artificial….?

Floral displays

Editor — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 07:04:36 GMT

A SIGHT for sore eyes…

If, like me, you are the sort of gardener who likes to be told what to do - interspersed by the occasional impulse buy from a garden centre - you might appreciate the lists that feature in ‘Plants, Beds and Borders’, by TV gardener, Katie Rushworth.

She might not write about hanging baskets (the Royal Horticultural Society has advic…

Apartment block balconies

Editor — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 20:20:27 GMT

BALCONIES provide flat-dwellers the chance to breathe in the fresh air, to take in the view and to feel they are ‘outside’ (perhaps with a cup of coffee and a magazine, to hand).

They are, for many people, a must-have, if they are to live in a flatted development.

Ironmongery

Editor — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 16:46:23 GMT

SIMPLE or elaborate - the choice is yours, when it comes to ironmongery…

Cafe, pub and shop interiors

Editor — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:38:17 GMT

WHEN we eat, drink or shop, we seem to be drawn to places rich in character and colour…

Courtyard housing

Editor — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:31:04 GMT

IT’S cities such as Malaga and Seville in Spain and Turin in Italy which seem to excel in well-crafted gates and doors to internal courtyards - providing both beauty and security.

Narrow streets

Editor — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:28:52 GMT

TODAY’S building regulations might mean narrow streets are always going to be a thing of the past, but one can only hope...

In terms of dimensions, how about three or four-storey housing on either side of a 5.5m (or less) divide?

For possible inspiration, check out that showcase of quaint, medieval villages that is the Tour de France, not least stage 17 o…