Chapleton of Elsick
Chapelton of Elsick is beginning to take shape as an innovative, sustainable new town near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. It is designed to provide (an initial) 4,045 homes, along with the shops, restaurants, bars, office space, parks, schools and civic spaces any community needs to flourish.
Brooks Murray are town architects for the first phase of the new town.
The original masterplan for Chapelton was forged through a public charrette process bringing together stakeholders, neighbours and public officials. Led by urban designers Duany Plater-Zyberk, in 2010, this is a dynamic consultation process which allows for immediate feedback, whether local or specialist, on all aspects of design, which will continue to shape the town as it is built.
The proposals are for a proper new Scottish town of 4,045 homes and all corresponding community spaces, shops, restaurants, schools and open space. It is designed as four neighborhoods – the first of which is Cairnhill. A town centre, home to the main high street, will follow in a subsequent phase. In the long term, the site at Chapelton can accommodate up to 8,000 homes within seven neighborhoods.
The Chapelton masterplan is inspired by the vibrant urban settlements of northeast Scotland, such as Montrose, Stonehaven and St Andrews. Like these historic towns, Chapelton will include many types of traditional home within walking distance of attractive parks and community facilities. The town’s neighbourhoods are designed for people: to be inherently sustainable, walkable places in which people are proud to live and work.
The builders of Chapelton include local firms, and those with particular expertise in traditional building. The design uses local materials, including granite, stone and lime harling, as well as architectural detailing traditional to the north-east Scotland. Homes are designed to accommodate a variety of floor plans, some of which include add-on options such as conservatories, and thereby to enable mixed levels of income and mixed demographics to live in the new town.
The long-term development of Chapelton will be regulated both by a Pattern Book and a Design Code, to ensure that architectural styles adhere to the vision for Chapelton forged among local communities. This can, however, evolve, through the use of the Design Advice Circular, thereby enabling a broad range of designs.
Brooks Murray has worked alongside a range of local and international architects to produce house types for Chapelton’s first neighbourhood. These include:
Benjamin Tindall Architects – www.benjamintindallarchitects.co.uk
Covell Matthews Architects – www.covellmatthews.co.uk
Lew Oliver Incorporated – www.wholetownsolutions.com
Marianne Cusato – www.mariannecusato.com