New plans have been submitted to demolish two Edinburgh office blocks and replace them with a purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme plus office floor space.
On behalf of HAMCAP Pentland Gait Ltd, Scott Hobbs Planning has submitted for planning permission to carry out the changes at 595 and 597 Calder Road. HAMCAP sees this as a prime opportunity to revitalise the largely vacant site.
The proposals include the partial demolition of the existing office pavilions (Heriot House and Currie House), which are located on the south side of the site orientated towards the eastern boundary and comprises a total of 2,400 sqm of net floorspace. Both buildings are arranged over two to three-storeys and there is around 2,200 sqm of vacant floorspaces.
Designed by architects, CDA, the Edinburgh PBSA scheme would see a new seven-storey building constructed on the site, comprising 382 student beds and around 1400m2 of office space, alongside a courtyard and amenity space.
There will be a cycle store and associated soft landscaping to accompany the development. Both Heriot Watt University and Edinburgh Napier University are both under a 20-minute walk or a 10-minute cycle ride away from the site.
Planning document“Demolition of the existing office buildings and redevelopment of the site for mixed-use development comprising flexible employment floorspace and PBSA, with associated access, vehicular and cycle parking and landscaping.
“The site has changed over time. The area was originally open fields until the 1960s when new housing was constructed to the east of the Union Canal.
“Around 20 years later, the Edinburgh city bypass was constructed to the west of the site, linking the city’s northern and western edges with a new relief road. Since then the area within the city bypass has been infilled with houses to the east and commercial use to the north east.”
It comes as S Harrison starts works on multi-million-pound Edinburgh PBSA. The development, on East Newington Place, has seen an old, disused commercial unit demolished and construction has started on a modern, energy-efficient four storey building with 65 studio rooms. There will also be a multimedia room, gym, break out space, cycle storage and open courtyard.
The scheme has been designed with superb sustainability credentials and it will be heated using air source heat pumps rather than gas, which will give it an EPC rating of A.
