A new kind of sustainable urban village designed for Aberdeen

Architecture students in Scotland have designed a sustainable urban village that would improve accessibility and flexibility of urban spaces

Spotted: Students at The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen have designed a new urban village for the city. The village, called St. Clements, has been designed to use a new waterfront site that is becoming available thanks to the relocation of the harbour in Nigg Bay. 

The design would open up the harbour front to people on the north edge of the harbour, and make links between Castlegate and the beachfront and harbour more feasible and pleasurable. It will also focus on sustainability, making it easier for people to walk, cycle or use electrically-powered public transportation. 

The plan aims to tap into geothermal power beneath the city to create a shared community power and heating system. This would be combined with solar power,  small scale wind power and piezoelectric generators to capture energy from moving vehicles on roads. Each housing block would be built to overlook each other, to encourage a social living space and enhance security.  

Project member and student David Reid described the goal of St. Clements as creating, “a new urban village that is sustainable, affordable and accessible for everyone. We want to create a village that combines private living, flexible working spaces, easy to access amenities, and shared community areas. A place where people can enjoy a social lifestyle and be part of a vibrant community. We want to bring amenities to the residents rather than forcing them to travel in search of them.”  

All over the world, the idea of a smaller, sustainable city, that puts people at its core, is catching on. Springwise has recently covered designs for projects including a self-contained garden city in Paris and a car-free city in Saudi Arabia. 

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