awards: House that (planning) council rejected twice wins prize

A CONTROVERSIAL New Town house that was turned down twice by the city's 
planning board has won a major design award.

The "Japanese-style" mews home on Circus Lane sparked outrage from 
neighbours, heritage groups and community leaders when it was proposed 
in 2002.

But it has now scooped the award from the Royal Institute of British 
Architects (RIBA), who praised its "fresh and inventive" design.

The scheme was turned down twice and only won planning consent after 
architects appealed to the Scottish Executive.

Richard Murphy, the architect behind the scheme, described the award as 
a "lesson" for Edinburgh's planning committee, adding that the 
controversy behind the scheme had been little more than a "knee-jerk" 
reaction from neighbours.

cont'd....
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=774502007