A Masterclass in Visionary Housing: Our Visit to Igloo’s Dundashill

I always get genuinely excited when I get the chance to speak with someone who has vision, passion, and a deep understanding of the impact that thoughtful design and architecture have on our lives. That was very much the case this morning when Tom Barclay - Chairman of The Herald Property Awards for Scotland and CEO of the Kingdom Housing Association - and I met with Gary Watt , Development Manager at igloo Regeneration .

Igloo’s Dundashill development was visited earlier this year by our fellow judges Donna Milton and Richard Blair , and they were both blown away by it. So of course, Tom and I were desperate to see it for ourselves - and Gary kindly agreed to show us around. We were not disappointed.

For this project, Igloo made the unusual and rather brilliant decision to collaborate with different Scottish architectural practices, instead of defaulting to a uniform look and feel across the entire development. This first phase - with more to follow - showcases the distinct design visions of two incredibly exciting studios: Stallan-Brand and Ann Nisbet Studio . The result? Uber cool.

Gary took us inside one of the Stallan Brand townhouses and, let me tell you… for £315k for a three-bedroom home, I would move in myself. The rooftop terraces alone are worth it. But beyond that: generous bedrooms, excellent ceiling height, bright rooms, and a cosy yet perfectly considered ground-floor living space. It all just works.

But for me, the stroke of genius was the landscaping. As Tim Heatley said to me, landscape shouldn’t be an afterthought - something you cobble together at the end of a project when the budget is running thin. Igloo took that to heart. They spent two years pushing to secure approval to transform the SuDS system into a standout feature at the heart of the site. And it shows.

Instead of the usual fenced-off holes you see in many new developments, Dundashill integrates this requirement into a beautiful, wildlife-friendly, communal green space that instantly elevates the entire scheme. It’s calming, characterful, and meaningful - a place where future residents will want to spend time.

What could have been a purely functional tick-box exercise has been reimagined into a defining element of the development. And that, to me, is the kind of design thinking that changes places - and lives.