Leith Fort wins Saltire and RIAS Awards

Leith Fort has added more strings to its award bow, winning the coveted Saltire Medal and the Multiple Housing Development category at this year’s Saltire Housing Design Awards.

The £11.5 million development of 94 affordable homes has also been named as one of the winners in the 2018 Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) Housing Development Awards and is now shortlisted for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award, to be presented in November.

Leith Fort was developed by Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) and the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) on the site of the former 18th century Leith Fort working with Collective Architecture.

Sixty-two of the one to four bedroom colony-style properties are for mid-market rent by PoLHA’s subsidiary Persevere Developments Ltd, and 32 units are owned by the CEC for social rent.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of Port of Leith Housing Association, said:

“We are thrilled that Leith Fort has received this recognition and won such prestigious awards. The homes we have created along with the City of Edinburgh Council have given the area a new lease of life, making it a great place for people to call home.”

Allan Little, Guest Chair of Saltire Society Housing Design Awards 2018 said:

“Leith fort is a superbly executed development that respects the special history and character of Leith while creating homes that match the needs of those who live in them.”

The main contractor for Leith Fort was CCG (Scotland) Ltd and the development was funded by PoLHA, CEC and the Scottish Government.