The Resident Edinburgh

Meldrum House was an unsightly concrete office building from the late 1950s in an attractive, residential Victorian street in Edinburgh. Over time the building had degraded and had to be overclad to prevent the concrete façade falling away.

In urgent need of attention and to retain the huge amount of embodied carbon in the structure, retrofit rather than demolition was essential. But its lower height ceilings, multiple columns and cellular design made it unsuitable for contemporary office requirements, so alternative use was required.

Hotel space in Edinburgh is in high demand. Guest rooms fit comfortably into the former office layout, providing an effective commercial and sustainable solution.

MLA’s proposal provided 37,000 sq ft (G.I.A) of hotel accommodation with a total of 164 bedrooms.

The interior was reconfigured to fit hotel requirements with a reception area, lounge/bar and offices on the ground floor and the guest rooms on the upper floors.

Retrofit of Meldrum House was firstly to extend the life of a seriously degraded building, no longer fit for purpose. Upgrading the building envelope extends the life of the 66-year-old building, ensuring compliance with the current Scottish Technical Handbooks. This is a significant improvement on the original building.

Key to the project’s aspirations were the retention of the concrete frame and cores, minimising construction waste. Retaining the reinforced concrete frame and floors but replacing the façade reduces the amount of new material required for the development.

The project team further reduced the environmental impact with an ambitious plan to recycle the existing external glazing. In total 8.5 tonnes of glass was closed loop recycled to float glass - equating to approximately 5 tonnes of CO₂ saved.

Steel balustrades in the staircase were also retained rather than replaced. These were reconfigured to meet current safety standards, improving the aesthetic appeal at the same time.

Redeveloping versus demolition and re-build saves approximately 40% of embodied carbon emissions.

An additional benefit of reusing the existing building structure was the valuable time saved on the construction programme and less disturbance to the neighbourhood.

The addition of an elegant facade emulates the rhythms and patterns of the neighbouring west-end buildings. But the original mid-century structure of the building is reflected in a simple, contemporary approach with warm finishes and clean, unfussy surfacing.

The upper level was extended to the north side, to match the higher roof level of the south extension. This provided a more appealing aesthetic and harmonious roof-scape to the building.

Modern, durable materials were selected to be in keeping with the surroundings. Adjacent buildings are built from sandstone, lending a feeling of warmth and grandeur. Replicating this, but with a contemporary update, a sandstone frame was added. Adding structural bays works with the existing structure and maintains consistency with the repetition of bay windows down the street. And the vertical pairing of windows cleverly disguises the multiple floors, blending the building with adjacent properties.

This project has radically transformed a poorly performing, non-listed office building with low floor to ceiling heights into a high-end hotel. It has successfully proven that with careful consideration, imaginative design solutions and collaboration, an existing building’s lifespan can be extended even when by any 'business-as-usual' standards it would be considered at the end of its life.