THEY had been branded among the ugliest buildings in the Capital.
But a £3.4 million makeover (pictured above) has transformed the Dumbiedykes estate into homes more befitting of their location a stone's throw from the Scottish Parliament.
The formerly drab grey exterior (below) of the Lochview Court and Holyrood Court high-rises has been replaced with eye-catching green and white finishes. External insulation tiles and new roofing have also been fitted to the flats, while stairwells and walkways were redecorated, asbestos removed from communal areas and new handrails and decking fitted to balconies.
The scheme marks the latest stage in the transformation of the estate, which began in 2003 and followed an earlier proposal to demolish some of the low-rise housing – which residents successfully fought off.
The external insulation is more environmentally friendly as, along with the double glazing, it will help cut heating costs and reduce the need for future repairs.
The council provided the majority of the funding, with British Gas funding part of the insulation costs.
After detailed consultation on colour schemes and designs, work began in December 2006 with the support of the buildings' tenants and homeowners.
Liz Walker, a spokeswoman for the blocks, said residents were thrilled with the revamp.
She said: "It is looking absolutely beautiful and I'm sure every resident is very happy with how the buildings look now. It's been a long time coming but the workforce have done an excellent job."
Colin Taylor, a senior surveyor in housing property services, said: "These improvements will have added further value to the properties and made them more attractive to tenants and buyers. This is the 17th time the council have completed renovation work on city flats and the residents are very pleased with the results.
"We are in negotiations with residents in other flats in Edinburgh to carry out similar work."
The Dumbiedykes estate consists of 650 homes designed and built between 1959 and 1964 by the city architect's department. Eyebrows were raised in 2003 when the scheme was included in the 'Architectural Map of inner Edinburgh' commissioned by the then Scottish Executive.
The full article contains 363 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
