Acclaimed British fashion designers, turned bastions of urban regeneration and social design, Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway will be helping to create the future of community living at the UK's first ever eco-housing fair.

The founders of Hemingway Design have been appointed to design key elements of Scotland’s Housing Expo, by the development phase co-ordinator, Highland Housing Alliance. The Expo will take place in the heart of the Scottish Highlands this summer.

As a result of the couple’s passion for creating safe and open play areas for children, Hemingway Design has been commissioned to create 12 gardens and a children’s play area.

The areas will be designed to help promote a better social living environment and forge a greater sense of community in keeping with the ethos of the whole development, which also incorporates shared surfaces and remote parking to encourage greater community interaction.

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Open to the public throughout August 2010, Scotland’s Housing Expo in Inverness will provide a vision for the next generation of Scottish housing. The cutting-edge sustainable houses will showcase the best of the countries architecture and design, and place Scotland firmly at the forefront of European housing design.

Commenting on their appointment to Scotland’s Housing Expo, Wayne said: "All of us involved in the Expo have a duty to leave a long term legacy of a great place to for the Inverness community.

"Gerardine and I have brought up our 4 children to be 'free range kids', we understand the value of well designed outdoor spaces and well thought out play."

He continued: "Scotland's Housing Expo is for people with an interest in housing and how they live. Sustainability, fresh ideas, future thinking, outstanding architecture and product design rolled into one fun Expo in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland."

Councillor Jean Urquhart, chair of the Housing Expo board added: "We are aware of the work Hemingway Design has already achieved in areas throughout the UK to promote sustainable living environments and believe their ethos reflects exactly what we are trying to achieve at the Expo. We’re very excited to be working with Wayne and Gerardine who will be able to use their talent and experience to help us develop and deliver our exciting vision."

Scotland’s Housing Expo will be based at Balvonie Braes near Inverness and hopes to attract around 300,000 visitors. Fully supported by the Highland Council and a consortium of agencies, the Expo is a result of an architectural competition for the cream of Scottish architecture to design unique and state of the art homes.

(GK)