Whiteburn's Caerlee Mill development in Innerleithen has been awarded with the prestigious Placemaking Design Award in the 2022 Scottish Borders Design Awards.

This year's Placemaking award was presented to Whiteburn Projects Managing Director Eve McCurrich together with Caerlee Mill's Project Manager Charlie Bain and Whiteburn's Chairman John Shepherd.

Caerlee Mill is the first development designed and built by Whiteburn Projects Ltd, and on receiving the award, Eve McCurrich, Managing Director said: "It is a great accolade to win an award for Placemaking from Scottish Borders Council on our first development designed and built by Whiteburn Projects.

"I am particularly pleased as it gives recognition to Roger Bainbridge, our Design & Delivery Director, for his vision on Caerlee Mill and to Charlie Bain, our Project Manager for the quality of the construction. The delivery of Caerlee Mill through these exceptional times has been difficult, but it is testament to the working relationship with our funders, consultants, subcontractors and suppliers that we have delivered such a wonderful place for our homeowners to live.


"The award also recognises Whiteburn's commitment to create uplifting places to live, work and play. Work on our next project at Viewforth in Kirkcaldy is now in the early stages of infrastructure construction, and we have equally strong Placemaking aspirations for this development."

Whiteburn's Caerlee Mill development in Innerleithen has created forty-four contemporary two, three and four bedroom houses and cottage flats, each one designed to reflect the spirit of the former mill site which stood at the heart of the community for over 200 years.

This has been achieved by ensuring the roofscape echoes the sawtooth roof of the former mill buildings and by using materials such as slate, zinc, brick and timber cladding which replicate the site's industrial past.

The judges of the Scottish Border Design Awards commented that:

Caerlee Mill is an exciting development which provides positive proof that – through collaboration, good design and with a little imagination – new housing can be delivered differently: The mix of house types deliver a good level of density but the site does not feel cramped and has strong links back to Innerleithen. Designing Streets has been implemented successfully to provide safe streets, where cars do not dominate and where the community have taken ownership of the public realm. A strong sense of identity has been created using a palette of materials that responds to its context, reflects the site's industrial heritage and does not fall back on the conventional tropes. The sense of community that this fresh approach has fostered was clearly evident.