7N Architects

Rising sea levels due to climate change present a major challenge for future generations. This masterplan for Seafield, on Edinburgh's coastline, explores how a protective response to rising sea levels can become an opportunity to positively transform where the city meets the sea for the benefit of all. The masterplan was developed from engagement with the local community, opening up thoughts on how the area's relationship with the sea could be enhanced by designing the necessary protective infrastructure in a way that encourages people to engage with, and continue to inhabit, the water's edge. The proposals set out a vision to transform a low-intensity, commercial use, section of Edinburgh's coastline into a residential-led, mixed-use, neighbourhood of up to 2,700 mixed-tenure homes. At the heart of the new neighbourhood is a reinvigorated promenade alongside a new seafront park. These civic spaces form integral parts of the masterplan's climate change resilience strategy, embedded throughout all aspects of the proposals and specifically designed to address the challenge of rising sea levels. The masterplan was created by 7N Architects, in collaboration with rankinfraser Landscape Architecture, Max Fordham, Cundall, Nick Wright Planning, and DAAKO, for The City of Edinburgh Council.