Inverness pupils design homes of tomorrow to mark 20th anniversary of not-for-profit developer Highland Housing Alliance (HHA)

Highland Housing Alliance (HHA), which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, invited more than 200 pupils at Ness Castle Primary School to imagine how homes might look in 2045 and beyond.

The young designers were encouraged to incorporate key elements such as sustainability, accessibility, and community impact into their creative submissions.

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A total of 203 entries were received, with some pupils opting to hand-draw their futuristic homes, while others used arts and crafts to bring their designs to life in truly imaginative ways.

The HHA team judged the entries, awarding one winner from each year group.

Every winner received a £50 voucher and to further support the school, HHA donated £2000 of funding for Ness Castle to buy furniture and equipment to enhance the school’s playground and outdoor space.

The winners included:

Primary 1 – Elenor McBride, who incorporated sustainable power sources into her design, and Fahkr Gillani, who crafted an innovative home featuring bee houses.

Primary 2 – Archie MacLeod, whose design included a roof garden and space for growing produce, and Kalina Zawadka, who built a home using recycled bricks.

Primary 3 – Olivia Liston, who designed a stylish home with a disco ball and tree house, and Blake Pollock, who envisioned an accessible home made from natural materials.

Primary 4 – Edward Rabey who integrated advanced futuristic technology, and Sophie Lyall, who designed a dog-themed house with eco-friendly features.

Primary 5 – Olivia Rankin whose home embraced sustainability with elements like rainwater harvesting, and Harvey Taylor, who created a fun and nature-conscious living space.

Primary 6 – Liam MacGregor, who designed a house resilient to environmental challenges such as flooding, and Naomi Madueke who focused on accessibility and community in her design.

Primary 7 – Iris MacGregor, who incorporated native Scottish plants into a community-oriented home, and Kanishkna Rajkumar and Francesca Collery, who worked together to create a design inspired by the 20-minute neighbourhood concept, complete with recycling facilities and eco-conscious features.

HHA chief executive Gail Matheson, said: “The thoughtful and imaginative designs submitted by the pupils have truly impressed us.

“It’s inspiring to see how they’ve focused on sustainability and accessibility, carefully considering how their homes will interact with the natural environment.

“It was also fantastic to see so many fun and innovative features included in the designs from a dog-themed home to futuristic smart technology, which I’m sure we’d all love to have in our own homes.”

She added during its 20 years, HHA had delivered more than 500 homes available at mid-market rent.

Ness Castle Primary School headteacher Craig Connon said the pupils had shown “immense creativity and thoughtfulness” in their designs.

“It is vital to expose future generations to real-world examples, particularly with housing being an issue that affects everyone,” he said.

“It may even inspire some of our pupils to go on to pursue careers as architects or interior designers, making this experience all the more valuable.”

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