Plans Submitted for Major Edinburgh Office Retrofit 

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21 August 2024

Plans to revamp the landmark Calton Square office will extend the building from 150,000 sqft to 200,000 sqft.

The retrofit project will provide a significant uplift in the environmental performance of the building, whilst respecting its location adjacent to Calton Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Development manager Ardstone Capital Ltd (UK), acting on behalf of the owners' advisor Macquarie Asset Management, has commissioned architect Sheppard Robson to design a building that blends Edinburgh’s old and new towns.

Using a fabric-first reuse strategy, Sheppard Robson’s design aims to address the several challenges that the existing building presents to the modern occupier. Large areas of glazing are currently causing overheating and operational inefficiencies in the building. Additionally, the fragmented internal layout will be reconfigured to enhance the entrance experience, which is currently challenged by the site's varying street levels and stepped primary access.

A new dramatic triple-height atrium covered with a new structural timber roof will repurpose an underused internal courtyard, accommodating cultural uses benefitting the local community. The new façade will introduce profiled spandrels and vertical fins to maximise self-shading and improve thermal performance.

The project will target BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS 5* and WELL Platinum.

Mark Kowal, Partner at Sheppard Robson, said: “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.”

Picture: a CGI showing the planned new exterior of Calton Square from the front. Image Credit: Sheppard Robson

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 21 August 2024

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