scottisharchitecture.com

The housing design competition, which is Scotland's first housing fair, was run under the auspices of the Royal Incorporation of Architects of Scotland (RIAS). The judging was carried out on a plot-by-plot and “blind” basis, meaning that the panel did not know who had submitted the entries they considered. The winning designs will be developed into a 55 home (27 plot) community at Balvonie on the southern fringe of Inverness. A diverse range of housing types will be on offer on the 5.5 hectare (13.5 acre) site, with more than a third of the units designated for affordable housing. The Highland Housing Fair is based on similar events in mainland Europe, particularly Finland, where housing fairs have been highly successful in stimulating quality and innovation in house design. In creating an exemplar community, the aspiration of the Highland Housing Fair is to act as a catalyst prompting similar change in the Highlands and throughout Scotland.