en.Wedoany.com Reported - Edinburgh-based emerging practice Pend Architects has completed two mews-style homes on a constrained brownfield site in Canonmills, central Edinburgh, in its first self-led development project. Inspired by Tadao Ando's "Row House in Sumiyoshi" in Osaka, Japan, the design maximizes the compact site through a series of internal courtyards and terraces, driven by light. Each three-bedroom home is arranged around a private outdoor courtyard, featuring a first-floor open-plan kitchen-dining space, three double bedrooms, and an integrated garage.
Each house is constructed with a highly insulated timber frame structure, clad externally with reclaimed bricks salvaged from the site—all carefully dismantled, cleaned, and reused—with curved rounded bricks marking the entrance threshold. The upper floors and roof sections are set back from the brick facade and clad in red zinc; the garage and entrance foyer feature timber finishes, echoing the timber-clad garages of the existing mews lane. Internally, the ground floor is tiled with underfloor heating, and a solid timber sculptural staircase leads to the first-floor open-plan kitchen and roof terrace.
The project is a joint venture between Pend Architects and local residential contractor Gloss Projects, with both homes fully finished and ready for occupancy on a "turnkey" basis. The total internal floor area is 265 square meters, with a construction cost of £775,000. Construction began in October 2024 and was completed in January 2026. The local authority is the City of Edinburgh Council, with the contract/procurement form being SBCC Minor Works. The client is Pend Architects and Gloss Projects, with interior designer and principal designer both being Pend Architects, main contractor Gloss Projects, structural engineer Harley Haddow, and using Vectorworks CAD software.
According to the architects, the Canon Mews project offered the practice new opportunities, allowing it to take on the dual role of architect and developer to explore the full design development process and demonstrate the belief that architects are uniquely capable of unlocking constrained urban sites. From acquisition to delivery and marketing, the team approached each step with intention and academic curiosity, questioning the conventions of delivering new-build homes. The joint venture with Gloss ensured a collaborative, consistent, and quality-driven construction process. The practice hopes Canon Mews will open a broader conversation about the potential of small urban sites, prioritizing meaningful densification, material quality, and everyday domestic delight as a study in bespoke housing solutions, marking the direction it will continue to pursue. This view was expressed by Jamie Anderson, Director of Pend Architects.
In addition to this residential project, Pend Architects earlier this year secured approval to convert a derelict cattle shed in the Scottish countryside into a timber-framed family home, and last year renovated and extended a protected farmhouse in East Lothian.
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