Plans have been lodged for a major refurbishment of a landmark city centre office block.
A planning application for the proposed work at the office building that is currently home to Baillie Gifford has been put forward.
The plans have been submitted for Calton Square to City of Edinburgh Council by Ardstone Capital.
The aim for Calton Square is "to create a best-in-class office building, comparable to the best in Europe, with the best possible Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) standards and lowest carbon footprint".
Located at the top of Leith Walk, the scheme provides almost 200,000 sq ft of office accommodation, with a number of roof terraces, co-working areas and a "striking internal atrium that has the potential to act as an auditorium".
Fronting onto Leith Street the building, which dates from the 1990s, needs updating and to refurbish it will require significant remodelling and intervention. This includes replacing many elements of the existing asset including windows, façade, lifts and entrances.
However, much of the existing structure will be retained, with materials re-used on site or recycled.
Sustainability and net zero objectives have been established as a key consideration, delivering first class energy and environmental performance standards, with best-in-class ESG ratings. The current green roofscape and gardens will be enhanced, with a courtyard or atrium space provided in the centre of the building. Baillie Gifford is expected to move to Haymarket.
Craig McDonald, principal and managing director of Ardstone Capital UK, acting as development manager on behalf of the owner and its advisory team, said: “We are delighted to be submitting the planning application for Calton Square to City of Edinburgh Council. The dialogue with the council and other stakeholders has been very productive, and the application seeks to deliver an office building comparable to the best in Europe, which will serve Edinburgh well into the future.
“With the highest environmental performance standards, and the lowest possible carbon footprint, this refurbished building will seek to deliver improved ground floor activity and accessibility.
“Calton Square will address the recognised demand for top quality office space in the capital, while making an important contribution to the city, and we look to continue engaging with the council and local community as the application progresses through the planning process.” Asset managers are the Macquarie Group.
Contract awarded to dual section of A9
Engineering firm Balfour Beattie has been awarded a £185m contract to complete the next stage of the infrastructure project to dual the A9.
The company has been picked by transport Scotland to enlarge a section of the road between Tomatin and Moy in the Scottish Highlands, approximately 21 kilometres (13 miles) south of Inverness. As part of the contract, Balfour Beatty will upgrade 9.6 kilometres of single carriageway to dual carriageway, construct four major bridges along the route as well as deliver new side roads together with various junction upgrades.
Glasgow creative agency revenue surge
A Glasgow-based creative agency has highlighted growth in the US and Europe, the Middle East and Africa as it reported “robust” revenues and announced a move to a new city centre office.
MadeBrave, which is led by Andrew Dobbie who founded the firm in 2012, has reported a near-40% rise in revenue to £6.4 million. The rise in turnover came as the firm attracted global brands such as VELUX, KPMG, and Pfizer to its roster, as it focused on expanding its client base outside the UK. More than half of its revenue now comes from the US and EMEA.
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