Following a successful social housing design competition, this derelict site in the centre of Crossgar village was developed into 20 new apartments and homes. A long vacant space between existing buildings, fronting a busy main road, offered an opportunity to design a strong linear elevation which plays with depth. The existing site topography offered a natural step along the buildings frontage, exaggerated by the use of parapets and chimneys to read in harmony with the existing context. A simple material pallet of white render alongside an elegant grey roman brick are used throughout the scheme which forms a courtyard to the rear. The overall design serves to encourage community interaction, with ease of navigation through the site.