Fraser Livingstone Architects and h+m were appointed to progress a visionary masterplan and design guide for a proposed housing development on the southern side of Forres. Promoted by Altyre Estate in collaboration with Moray Council, who both wish to create an exemplar new community of homes, the purpose of the design guide is to support the collective ambitions of the Estate and Council through augmenting and enhancing the original strategic masterplan proposals and provide a guide for the detailed design of the development.
Drawing inspiration from both the extraordinary built fabric of the nearby Altyre Estate and the historic urban patterns of the burgh towns and coastal settlements of Moray, the objective at Dallas Dhu is to create a community of homes which responds positively to the particularities of the natural landscape setting of the site. To create shelter and a sense of place, homes are positioned to optimise southerly or westerly aspects, and are gathered together in tight clusters around shared courts and communal green spaces. Shared surface streets emphasize placemaking over traffic movement.
The Design Guide outlines and develops the principles of the Visionary Masterplan for the whole of the Dallas Dhu site, primarily informed by tightly woven historical patterns of development which provide a rich diversity of spaces which respond sensitively to their surrounding landscape setting. The Visionary Masterplan is underpinned by an approach to placemaking composed around the principles of sunshine, gathering and permeability. Individual character areas within the masterplan layout of residential areas and parkland are identified and which have their own specific design guidelines suited to their respective location and character. Detailed design guidance was provided on houses and landscape, public realm/streetscape, public open space and boundaries.
The Guide provides a series of reference images indicating the architectural and landscape aspirations across the masterplan site and for different design components of the masterplan. Local references at Altyre Estate and the surrounding towns and landscape are combined with a number of examples of contemporary buildings and landscape treatments to provide inspiration for the detailed design development in response to the unique characteristics of the Dallas Dhu site.