Our architectural endeavour revolves around a thoughtful and transformative project within a Category A Listed property dating from 1773, steeped in historical significance and nestled within one of the few last remaining historic buildings within the St James Quarter of Edinburgh’s New Town.

The client brief was to upgrade sanitary facilities and structural alterations to provide an open plan larger kitchen dining space as desired for 21st century living.

The property did not have a bathroom, with only antiquated sanitary facilities as a self-contained toilet and wash hand basin cloakroom and a separate shower cubicle which had been fitted to a store cupboard remote from WC during the 1980’s. The kitchen fittings, fixtures and appliances had become outdated and in need of upgrade and redecoration was required throughout.

The recent completed redevelopment of the surrounding urban context had left the property essentially facing the “wrong way” with existing public rooms of kitchen and living room addressing the back services yard for retail units and existing bedrooms overlooking a newly developed vibrant pedestrian urban square formed of a hotel, restaurants, shops and newly built apartments.

The central design strategy involved intelligent space utilisation by relocating the kitchen to the large room at the Southeast of the flat which and has a generosity of scale desirable for open plan dining kitchen space and with two large windows overlooks the new public square. This allowed for the bedroom to be relocated to the quieter side of the property and the existing toilet extended to provide an ensuite shower room. The smallest room in the property was too small to use as a bedroom and comply with current space standards and so this offered the opportunity to provide a large bathroom and enhanced sanitary facilities. The former shower cupboard has been transformed into a dedicated utility / laundry space. 

The above strategic yet simple design optimises the layout, without the need for costly structural alterations, to elegantly improve functionality with a harmonious use of the property's interior in which heritage conservation blends with contemporary lifestyle demands while respecting the property's historical significance.