Calton Square Edinburgh offices refurb, Ardstone Capital Ltd property images, Scottish development
Calton Square Edinburgh office building news
15 August 2024
Design: Sheppard Robson architects
Sheppard Robson submits plans for radical retrofit of Calton Square, Edinburgh
image courtesy of Not Just Yellow
Retaining 88% of the existing structural frame, the major refurbishment seeks to create a new identity for the building, through reconfiguration and enhancements, that exemplifies sustainable and wellness-centred design.
Sheppard Robson has submitted plans for the significant repositioning of Calton Square, a landmark office building in Edinburgh’s city centre. Development manager Ardstone Capital Ltd (UK), acting on behalf of the owners advisor Macquarie Asset Management, has coordinated the project to extend the building from 150,000ft2 to 200,000ft2 with a series of significant design changes which will align the building to the demands of the modern occupier and provide a significant uplift in the environmental performance of the building.
The design process began with forensic analysis to assess retention options and select the best fabric-first reuse strategy. This drive to reuse as much as possible, on and off site, was balanced by addressing its sensitive context within its extraordinary location in Edinburgh’s New Town – adjacent to Calton Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
image : Not Just Yellow
Originally completed in 1998, the existing building presented several urban challenges and was unsuited for both the modern occupier and for responding to current climate challenges. Currently, large areas of glazing result in overheating and operational inefficiencies. Other considerations included improving the fragmented internal layout, replanning the cores, and upgrading the entrance experience characterised by the site’s varying street levels and associated stepped primary access.
The main entrance has been significantly extended to provide step-free access and a welcoming arrival experience. The double-height space transforms the Leith Street frontage with expansive glazing, improving transparency and connectivity with the public realm. The new reception comprises a range of co-working, lounge and café spaces creating an energetic and dynamic quality on arrival. This leads through to the heart of the project – a dramatic triple-height atrium covered with a new structural timber roof that repurposes an underutilised internal courtyard. This central space provides an opportunity to accommodate cultural uses benefitting the local community through social value.
Sheppard Robson’s design creates a cohesive envelope which harmonises with the historic surroundings of Calton Hill. The new design, with its base, middle and top, echoes the traditional Edinburgh Feu, broken up into vertical bays to reflect the grain of the local tenement blocks. The sandstone façades further root the building into the context, with accents of green referencing Calton Hill.
rendering : Not Just Yellow
Environmental modelling has driven the design of the high-performance façades, which introduce profiled spandrels and vertical fins to maximise self-shading and improve thermal performance.
Occupier terraces are located across levels five to eight with a large communal green space on the uppermost level. The roof accommodates biodiversity through its wildlife planting and brown habitat and PV panels are integrated within the greenery. This ‘green crown’ of biodiverse terraces and the sawtooth profile of the top floor provides a sensitive design response to the Edinburgh skyline and views from Calton Hill back to the city centre.
The holistic sustainability and wellness strategy employed on the building targets BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, NABERS 5* and WELL Platinum.
Mark Kowal, Partner at Sheppard Robson, commented: “Calton Square is a thoughtful blend of old and new. Our design approach has been to integrate the building into its unique location, creating a seamless transition between the city’s Old and New Towns. The goal is to reposition the existing building by creating an exemplary adaptive reuse project that excels in environmental performance and becomes an asset to the community.”
Calton Square Edinburgh office building
Calton Square Edinburgh office building renewal, Scotland images / information from received 150824 from Sheppard Robson architecture practice, London, UK
77 Parkway | Camden Town | London | NW1 7PU, United Kingdom.
instagram: @sheppard_robson
Scottish Capital Buildings
Edinburgh Architecture Designs – chronological list
Contemporary Scottish Capital Property Designs – recent architectural selection below:
Health and Wellbeing Centre, 7 Bristo Square, south of the city centre
Design: PagePark Architects
photo : Keith Hunter
University of Edinburgh Health and Wellbeing Centre
New National Centre For Music, Calton Hill
image courtesy of architects practice
New National Centre For Music Edinburgh
St James Quarter, central Edinburgh
Architects: BDP Glasgow studio + Allan Murray Architects
St James Quarter Edinburgh
Literature House for Scotland, John Knox House, off the High Street, Old Town
Winning Architects: Witherford Watson Mann ; Groves-Raines Architects Studios ; Studio MB
photograph © Daniel Lomholt-Welch
Literature House for Scotland
Langside Halls Proposals, Glasgow, Strathclyde
photo courtesy of Hoskins Architects
Langside Halls Queen’s Park, Glasgow
Scottish Architecture Design
Best Building in Scotland Award – annual architectural prize
Comments / photos for the Calton Square Edinburgh office building renewal, Scotland, property renewal design by Sheppard Robson Architects page welcome.