Leith is a port district in northern Edinburgh with a significant standing in Scotland’s history. As an industrial area, it was a leader of manufacturing within various Scottish trades until the 1900s. In the past century, Leith’s urban, social, and economic infrastructure have witnessed much change; it started with decades of industrial decline and depopulation post-war, then the Leith improvement scheme of 1924 and associated slum clearance, and subsequent upturn and redevelopments, including housing schemes, leisure and hospitality, and even administrative departments.
Although there was a notable revival of the area, it is still ongoing with tram lines being extended inwards and other commercial and community projects emerging.
‘Leith Commoning’ is an extension to this development; it looks at combining two Leith based charities: Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts (EKFH) and Earth in Common (EIC) onto a site in South Leith. Architecturally, this will aim to retain as much of the existing built environment, retrofitting and adding timber extensions. The aim is to create a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces that house the functions of these organizations, keeping a minimum level of carbon waste for the project. The project also looks to the future of community development in Leith and should recognize the need for change in terms of designing for adaptability and reuse.
The following work intend to showcase a project driven by its core purpose of fostering community ties and generating strong, positive social impact. This concept of commoning discussed in Stavros Stavrides' article ‘Common Space as Threshold Space’, and is a gateway into understanding and approching this ambition.
