A small twist on the traditional loft apartment has resulted in that rarest of property propositions in Edinburgh: exemplary new-build flats that are actually affordable. They have views of Arthur's Seat to boot. Indeed, the £2.6m Microlofts development - which, as its name suggests, predominantly features compact apartments - has captured the credit crunch mood so well that, during the Edinburgh Doors Open Day event in September, it had 750 visitors. Some were looking to buy, but most were intrigued by the cutting-edge design of local architecture firm Studio Dub.
The four-storey development in Peffermill with 34 apartments - priced from £99,000 for a one-bed to £265,000 for a three-bed penthouse - was the joint brainchild of Edinburgh-based Microloft Company Ltd and Studio Dub. After a fairly lengthy gestation - planning permission was originally granted in 2003 - the project was finally completed, and reached the market, this summer. In spite of the downturn, half of the properties have already been sold. But while Microlofts might have caught the mood of the times, the company behind them did not survive - the apartments are being sold on behalf of adminstrators who were called in after Microloft Company Limited went into receivership.
"A lot of new-build properties don't have any character, and that was our challenge with the Microlofts: to design new homes with an edge," says Gordon Duffy, of Studio Dub.
Having previously been involved in designing residential projects such as the Leith Lofts development of 1999, which involved the renovation and reuse of two former whisky and tobacco bonds in Edinburgh, the practice was no stranger to the loft-living concept. However, where this project differs from Leith Lofts and other traditional loft conversions in post-industrial buildings, is that it is an entirely new-build development, which has effectively allowed the creation of small-scale as well as traditionally large loft-style apartments.
"We were asked by the developers to bring the character of our previous loft conversions to the new-build sector," says Duffy.
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"Originally, it was proposed that the site could accommodate only 25 flats, but I saw that as a challenge. We looked at the edgy site and proposed a larger number of smaller units that could be offered at a lower price, thereby offering a leg-up onto the property ladder.
"My gut feeling had been that there was a need for smaller, more affordable units in the city. What Edinburgh didn't need was another shedload of two-bedroom flats. We had looked into the fact that there has been a huge growth in single-person households, where single people are increasingly looking for their own space; and there is a growing number of single-parent families, as well as older people looking to downsize. And I think that this prediction was right in terms of the current market. I think we were totally ahead of the game."
The Peffermill Microlofts have 20 of the super-compact, one-bedroom flats, each at 349 sq ft and with a rear balcony. An additional six three-bed apartments, four townhouses and four penthouses complete the project.
The lofts have been built in an L-shape, which provides a courtyard towards the street and preserves the rear for gardens rather than parking.
Duffy's description of the Microlofts is peppered with words such as "muscular", "robust" and "tough", so it's little wonder that the development does not consider itself among the ranks of other new-build housing with its fussy, frilly finishes.
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"The character of the development is driven largely by the area," Duffy continues. "The whole area is being redeveloped. At one end you have the busy Cameron Toll shopping centre area (the Microlofts are at this end, overlooking the university playing fields and overlooked, in turn, by Arthur's Seat), and the other end of the area is undergoing a huge regeneration under the auspices of Parc Craigmillar. So I didn't see any point in having some lightweight, prissy, two-bed, halftimber, Noddy-house nonsense. It just wouldn't have worked.
"The building is robust, with galvanised steel and concrete. It has quite a tough, industrial feel, which sits well in this area. We've used timber elements but sparingly. There's a big fashion for lots of bits of timber cladding but generally we've tried to avoid this. We've incorporated the timber into areas that you can touch, such as the balconies."
All the residents on the ground floor have their own garden, and each of the properties on the floors above boasts its own balcony and cantilevered deck. In terms of the interiors, the amount of useable living space has been maximised by cutting down on circulation and corridor space. The industrial aesthetic of the exterior continues indoors with exposed columns and concrete floors and ceilings.
"It's a blank canvas, so people can express themselves," says Duffy. "Don't like the concrete? Paint over it. That's the point of a neutral environment." However, there are Microloft residents who wouldn't dream of subverting the polished concrete finish.
"The design is the real appeal," says Roger Davidson. He works for the estate agent DTZ, which is marketing the Peffermill Road flats, but was sufficiently taken with them to buy one in May. "The flat has a bit more of a statement to it. I like all the exposed columns and pipework at the sockets. And the polished concrete floor is great because I don't need to hoover - I can mop it. If I had just wanted an ordinary little box, they are ten a penny in Edinburgh."
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Davidson describes the flat as his city "bolthole" (he also owns property in the Borders) and says that there were several factors in his decision to buy other than the "funky" design. "Affordability is important. I get a lot for my money. In terms of energy efficiency, it's excellent - my energy bills so far have been surprisingly low.
"Generally, new developments in the south side of the city, which is very near where I work, aren't very easy to come by, particularly ones that have secure gated entry as well as secure off-road parking. It also has very easy access to the main trunk roads and to the bypass. And I think that, in this respect, it has a huge advantage over developments in areas such as Leith, where the road infrastructure can't cope and you end up sitting in town for over an hour just to get out of town. Here, within five minutes you pick up a main road."
One aspect that particularly pleased Davidson is that his one-bed flat, although bought for £99,000, is actually worth £120,000.
"The flats were independently surveyed in May and were valued at £120,000, so all of a sudden I've got equity in the property. That was a real incentive for me.
"Putting it simply, it's an affordable apartment that offers me everything that I could possibly want," concludes Davidson. "The building's a unique concept - it has even been said that it looks almost like a jail. You either like it or you don't. And I like it a lot. It grows on you very much."
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Apartments are priced between £99,000 and £265,000. For further details contact DTZ Residential, 0131 459 2222