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Michael Laird tick all the boxes at Edinburgh’s Quartermile URBAN REALM SPRING 2017 URBANREALM.COM
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SUPER I OR I NT ER I ORS URBAN REALM’S REGULAR INTERIOR DESIGN FOCUS DRAWS TOGETHER EIGHT EXPERTS IN THE FIELD TO PEEL BACK THE FACADE AND EXPLAIN HOW CURRENT FASHIONS, TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGY ARE SHAPING THE PROFESSION. THEIR THOUGHTS ARE ILLUSTRATED BY A GALLERY OF SHOWCASED WORK WHICH SHOWS THE SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GREAT INTERIORS AND ARCHITECTURE WHICH HOUSES THEM.
Andrew Brown, Co-founder, Brown + Brown Architects What is your proudest career achievement to date? Our proudest moment to date was probably winning the 2016 Scottish Design Award for best Leisure / Culture building. The project had been a very difficult one, with a great client finding themselves having to navigate through the labyrinth of red tape that sometimes comes from an EU-funded project (funding came from the European Fisheries Fund, Historic Scotland, and Aberdeenshire Council). Undoubtedly our most satisfying career achievement was when our Heath Cottage interior renovation won Best Budget Project in the 2016 Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating Awards. This was a complete interior fit-out, delivered on a very tight budget, but which incorporated the Scandinavian influence that runs through most of our work. Are clients now more demanding that ever? I think good clients are always demanding. At the moment it’s very important, to both private and public clients, that they feel they are getting a return on their investment. However working with a demanding client, certainly with regards to quality, can be very rewarding and often results in a higher standard of finished work. Are sustainability concerns prompting more people to refurbish rather than start from scratch? This is perhaps the case, and certainly it contributes to a client deciding that renovation if how they’d like to proceed.
However it’s almost a tacit concern, and most clients don’t list sustainability as an initial driver behind a refurbishment project, but we often find it coming out in conversation as we move through the project. Conversely (especially when considering the environmental impact of building) we often find that sustainability is a key driver for those looking to commission a new building. This is partly down to energy use and cost concerns of course, but what it does have in common with the sustainability concerns of those refurbishing is that most clients seem to be planning for the long term, and looking for projects that will allow them to plan ahead. We find it very satisfying to work with clients who want to carry out projects which will last, and which can be flexible enough to meet their changing needs over a long period of time.
David Campbell Managing Director, Campbell & Co What is your proudest career achievement to date? I have no proudest moment. Each of our projects contains something, which has worked well in its specific context. Although perhaps one project stands out for me in terms of community impact. – A number of years ago I was involved in the design of a national park centre in Uganda at the home of the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Rainforest. The money raised from visitors and trekkers went directly to the local women’s group to fund the construction of a village grain mill. I also got to see the > gorrilas.
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Are clients now more demanding than ever? Yes, certainly in our field of museum and heritage design. Almost all museum development projects require public funding, the conditions of which are quite rigorous, including, developing of new audiences, the provision of education and learning activities and public engagement plans. This criteria requires measurable design support. Largely we gain new business through competitive tendering and the sheer volume of tender information and creative energy required even to get on a shortlist is outrageously demanding. I understand that Public Contracts Scotland is addressing this, which can only be a good thing as I’m certain I’m not alone in this view. Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration? I’m not sure that it is healthy to focus on one source of inspiration, you run the risk of ‘copying’. I am inspired by what I see and read on a daily basis in all areas of life. Clearly as a designer I’m drawn to the work by others in our field, particularly to architecture and I’m always moved by the work of Peter Zumthor, which has a spiritual quality, rarely seen or felt outside art and music.
Ross Hunter Director Graven What is your proudest career achievement to date? When we started our business back in 1986 there were only a handful of design firms in Scotland. We wanted to prove that it was possible to survive here, and to do work of international relevance. 30 years later, and having worked in over 30 countries, it feels like we achieved that. We’re most proud of Glasgow though, from 1990 and 1999 onwards, and being part of something exciting in Scotland, including all of our friends and architects and designers who are out there doing great work. Of course the best is yet to come. Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration? This place. You have to look inside yourself for the things that give you that excited feeling in the pit of your stomach. Often for me it begins with conflict rather that order. Order can come later, but the best dramas and the best stories happen when you can rub people and spaces and materials up against each other. I love the common ground that people share and opportunities to make places where people can come together and feel part of something dramatic or important or meaningful. Design can make all of that happen, even in offices. URBAN REALM SPRING 2017 URBANREALM.COM
How does the creative spark of an interior designer differ from that of an architect? Very early in my career I realised that the main difference is that interior designers become better at buildings from CLOSE UP. Needless to say specialist product knowledge often means that interiors specialists are more aware of internal finishes, and the ever increasing, ever changing world of FF&E, but its really about fine-tuning the spaces and objects that people can touch and engage with directly. Of course, there are many architects who are a bit scared of colour. It’s a specialism and perhaps architecture at large would benefit from recognising more special skills within the generalist discipline.
Aline Browers, Interior Designer, HLM – Glasgow Office What is your proudest career achievement to date? The Pilot Rooms project for the University of Glasgow recently received a lot of attention being featured on various websites, in magazines and social media. In the first few weeks of the rooms being used, one of the academics shared a video stating how much he loves the space we created. Seeing a project through from concept to completion and then receiving such great feedback from our clients makes me more proud than anything else. No published articles or online posts can compare to the personal satisfaction that such compliments give. Are clients now more demanding than ever? I think our clients are much more design conscious than they were a few years ago due to the exposure to media on a 24-hours basis. Online platforms like Pinterest or Houzz are easy to use for everyone and give clients immediate access to millions of design ideas from all over the world. The ability to collect these ideas and the ease of creating inspiration boards online, makes our clients feel more involved in the design process and creates a much greater sense of ownership. Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration? As interior design is all about people and the way they use and experience the spaces we create, my biggest source of inspiration are our clients. Listening to their ideas and getting an insight into their world makes me see things from a different perspective and is often the trigger for great ideas. My job is very varied and as I might be working on several projects every week, my source of inspiration is always evolving. Certain projects can influence each other. Sometimes ideas from one scheme can be the source of inspiration for a new project but in a much more developed way.
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Left - It’s all in the detail for Brown & Brown at Heath Cottage Right - Morgan McDonnell’s Drumsheugh Gardens marries the best of new and old
Fraser Low, Director, Interior Architecture, Keppie Are clients now more demanding than ever? I’d say it’s the marketplace that is most demanding. Shifting economic and political uncertainties are a big influence. Clients are understandably more cautious, but rightly continue to demand best value. These traits are consistent across sectors – lots of stop / start activity which can be challenging to manage. Designers are trained to create, to generate ideas and solutions, so getting them to do so intermittently is difficult. I’m not saying great design can’t still be created under these conditions I simply feel that the ‘comprehensive-ness’ of good design can sometimes suffer. Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration? I’m inspired by ideas, particularly ideas that inform built environments. What inspires me most is the design process – the concept of bringing together talented individuals around a common vision. I suppose that’s an attitude borne of my
lifelong appreciation of great teams; from favourite rock bands and winning sports teams to innovative businesses encountered along the way. Don’t get me wrong collaboration is hard work and can be frustrating, but also contrastingly fulfilling to watch people synchronize. In our design work, we continually refer to positive culture and environment, so we’re working hard on both as the foundations to good design. How does the creative spark of an interior designer differ from that of an architect? I’d hope that both are driven by the common belief that the goal of design is to make our world better and more people focused. Yes, interior designers apply quite different methods and emphasis, but these are no less structured, valuable or legitimate. A critical need in both architecture and interior design is to understand that our roles, methodologies and interfaces continue to evolve, and like it or not, we are a service industry. So, rather than looking for differences, I’d prefer to encourage early dialogue to establish a framework allowing each discipline to inspire the other and maximise outcomes for clients. >
INTERIOR REPORT
© PAUL DODDS / NMS
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Smith Scott Mullan show interior design can be exhausting work at the Museum of Flight, East Lothian
Kenny Fraser, Director, MLA Are sustainability concerns prompting more people to refurbish rather than start from scratch? There is definitely a move towards working with what you have but I wouldn’t say sustainability is driving this. It comes down to simple efficiencies and driving down operating costs. Budgets are tight everywhere and organisations are just being realistic about their workplace aspirations. We have also found that many organisations are preferring to self-regulate and are moving away from the official sustainability accreditation as most of these processes and approaches incur higher costs. As designers, however, we are excited by the challenge of ‘making more from less’ and are firm believers that reinvention or reinvigoration of any workplace or interior is possible under the strictest of budgets. What is your proudest career achievement to date? It would have to be our work with the W.L. Gore team URBAN REALM SPRING 2017 URBANREALM.COM
at their Fabrics Plant in Livingston (between 2009 and 2013). The project began in the most difficult of circumstances in the thick of the recession but gradually evolved into a truly transformational building refurbishment and workplace reinvention project. We are now about to start further work with Gore team in Livingston as they adapt to meet constantly changing business requirements. The project was awarded the top national BCO (British Council for Offices) Award in 2013 and we have been asked to enter the project for this year’s ‘Test of Time’ award. Would you recommend an interior design career to your children? Absolutely. No job or career is perfect and its bloody hard work in our relatively small design world here in Scotland, but there is nothing quite like finding your place in a creative, energetic team, where every day is completely different from the last. There is constant engagement with a myriad of clients, consultants, suppliers and contractors with everyone engaged in ‘making’ and ‘creating’
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something real, tangible and usable. There’s a real sense of satisfaction when a project completes and you can all say… we did that! Then you all head to the pub.
Lisa Morgan, Director, Morgan McDonnell Who or what is your greatest source of inspiration? So many people influence you throughout your career, it would be impossible to name just one. From my early Architecture education it was the eye opening beauty of Le Corbusier’s work along with other Modernist pioneers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Eileen Gray and Mies van der Rohe. Talent from across the Arts, not just Architecture and Interior design, is inspiring, when writers, choreographers, designers think about things differently they are truly creative – Matthew Bourne, David Nicolls, Vivienne Westwood, Marcel Wanders– they all take their art and push it to the limit. Stimulating rule breakers always inspire me! How does the creative spark of an Interior designer diff er from that of an Architect? An interior designer works alongside the Architect, the earlier they can work together on the process the better. It’s really about layering – the architect dealing with the holistic overview of the building and how it responds to its exterior environment from inside and out, the interior designer imagining how the space within can be used and enjoyed. Imagination and visualization are key skills, without these you can’t create – you need a vision of how the space breaks down into a variety of uses and understanding people is crucial. Interior design is both tactile and visual, materials, fabrics and products are all linchpins of an interior designer’s palette, the more you know, the more creative you can be. Would you recommend an Interior design career to your children? I can say yes, as I know there’s absolutely no way they’ll do it! With two parents working in Architecture and Interior design they’ve seen it from the coal front, which I think has put them off somewhat! If they really wanted to do it, I wouldn’t discourage them from Interior Design but Architecture’s a different matter…. As a qualified Architect who’s moved into Interior Design I’ve seen both sides and there is a different creativity within Interior Design than Architecture, the speed of the projects is much quicker and it’s generally more fun. You can be really inventive
with interiors without the same pressures of statutory approvals that exist in Architecture.
Alistair Scott, Architect & Director, Smith Scott Mullan Associates Are clients now more demanding than ever? Good clients are demanding and always have been, simply because they care about their project. What has changed is that technology has given us the ability to generate information, such as 3D visualisations, which allow a constant insight into how a project is developing. This means that design presentations now need to be far better structured, in terms of the “level of decision making” being presented. Whereas a few years ago a design presentation of coloured renderings and a physical model was very often produced towards the end of the design period, this information is now constantly evolving throughout it. Are sustainability concerns prompting more people to refurbish rather than start from scratch? The decision to refurbish is made on a whole raft of issues, sustainability only being one of them. In addition to the long recognised fact that it is usually cheaper to refurbish than to build new, there are a number of external drivers which are influencing this process. Companies are choosing to locate in city centres, amid large numbers of existing (often listed) buildings, which naturally limits opportunities for new build. There is also a broadening perspective on what makes a good workplace, with “character” being prized and buildings such as old industrial premises now seen as desirable accommodation. This creates a natural bias towards refurbishment, hence benefiting sustainability. How does the creative spark of an interior designer differ from that of an architect? I am sure that Architects and Interior Designers both share the same “creative spark”, it is just that some people are more drawn to the “touchable” aspects of buildings than others. We make far too much out of the differences between designers anyway, and have developed a fractured design industry. A good graphics designer can make a pretty good job of the conceptual design of a house and good architect can turn out a pretty reasonable practice brochure. They lack knowledge of technical aspects, but the same design sensibilities are present. Creating a good interior covers a wide range of skills and perhaps we need to recover this holistic view of the subject and be less concerned about professional disciplines.
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The Soap Factory, 11 Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB25 1BU Tel: 01224 518300 Ness Horizons, Kintail House, Beechwood Park, Inverness IV2 3BW Tel: 01463 630640 Web: www.brownandbrownarchitects.com Email: mail@brownandbrownarchitects.com Twitter: @Brown_Brown_Arc Instagram: www.instagram.com/brown_ and_brown_architects Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/ brownbrownarch/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BrownBrownArchitects/ Brown + Brown Architects are an awardwinning design-led architecture practice, based in Aberdeen and Inverness, with a passion for materials, detail and craftsmanship. We understand the importance of collaboration, and work closely with our clients to ensure that their unique challenge receives a unique solution. Our architecture is strongly influenced by “place” and by exploring the qualities which each individual site brings, whether physical, social or cultural, we are able to experiment with form and materiality to create buildings and interiors which sit comfortably within their context and enhance their surroundings. Our work has been published internationally, appearing in magazines as far afield as South Africa, Italy, Germany, and here in the UK. We consider our practice to be heavy influenced by Scandinavian design, with some of our staff having trained and worked in various Nordic countries. We feel this goes beyond the current trends of ‘Hygge’ or ‘Lagom’, and is more about ensuring that a certain design sensibility is brought to bear on all aspects of our work. Services: Interior Design Full Architectural Services Feasibility Studies Furniture & Kitchen Design Plot / site finding 3D Visualisations
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Top - Ferryhill House Bottom left and right Heath Cottage
Ferryhill House This beautiful listed house in Ferryhill, Aberdeen was decorated in a 1970s style, and was in need of significant renovation. The house was completely refurbished internally, to suit our client’s simple Scandinavian taste in furniture, with all original features restored and enhanced, and some simple changes made to the internal layout. All floors were sanded and treated with white oil, as was the original staircase, creating a light and clean feeling throughout the house. Original flagstone floors were exposed where possible, and a clean materials palette used consistently. Heath Cottage This project involved the refurbishment and renovation of a stone cottage near Aberdeen, into a light-filled Scandinavianinspired home. In addition to making a large glazed intervention in the stone gable, the internal arrangement of the ground floor was revised, to allow modern open-plan living within the traditional cottage. White wooden lining and a white painted floor help make the space light and allow all spaces to flow together. A woodburning stove remains the focal point of the living area, whilst the open plan kitchen/dining space has a traditional range cooker as it’s centrepiece. Birch faced plywood is used in various places throughout the house, from the large door separating the office from the main space, to the bathroom.
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Tel: 0131 667 4444 Email: info@campbelland.co.uk Web: www.campbelland.co.uk Twitter: @campbellandco Campbell & Co provides creative and intelligent design for the development of museums and other visitor destinations where cultural and natural heritage is presented in the form of permanent or temporary interpretive exhibitions. We understand the visitor’s physical and intellectual needs and the client’s operational imperatives. Our considerable experience ranges from museum masterplanning to delivering turn-key projects and much in between. Services: Exhibition Design Interior Design Graphic Design Interpretive Planning, research and script writing
Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre Client: SSE, Location: Pitlochry The designs for the new Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre came from a feasibility study undertaken in 2011 when the site overlooking the dam emerged as the preferred location to build a new visitor centre. We envisioned the building as a strong simple form projecting over the steep bank above the River Tummel, paying homage to the powerful modernist structure of the dam and turbine hall. We set the architectural brief to allow the architect to develop the design while we guided the interior plan to determine how visitors moved through the building. The big move was always going to be the reveal the end of the principal floor, the result of which is stunning views from the cafe balcony. The interpretive exhibition gallery largely uses interactive computer technology to tell the story of the great feat of Scottish engineering in the middle of the 20th century to create hydro -electric power for Scottish Highland communities. The arrangement of exhibits on the upper floor leads visitors through the building and down into the main exhibition gallery and film theatre. Our client has a large collection of domestic appliances and we have used these to populate the main spaces and activate the journey through the building.
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175 Albion Street, Glasgow G1 1RU T: +44 (0)141 552 6626 Email: info@graven.co.uk Web: www.graven.co.uk Twitter: @GravenHQ Graven has been working collaboratively with architects, contractors and developers delivering integrated design solutions on complex projects for over 30 years. Ongoing and recent work includes hospitality environments for Blythswood Hotel with Starwood Capital, Crieff Hydro with Denholm Partnership, Hotel Indigo Dundee with JM Architects, Radisson Red Glasgow with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and Forest Group and The New Club in Edinburgh with Sutherland Hussey Harris. Workplace environments for BBC, Clydesdale Bank, Codeclan, Elevator, IFDS, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life, G1 Group, RBS, Registers of Scotland, Standard Life and Student Loans Company. Education and leisure environments for City of Glasgow College with Reiach and Hall and MLA, Kelvin Hall with Page\Park, SportScotland National Sports Training Centre with Reiach and Hall at Largs and the University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton Campus with HAA Design, Mosaic Architecture and HFD Group. International work includes delivering hotel concepts in the USA, Europe, Middle East and Africa for clients including Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, IHG, Novotel and Realstar as well as evolving the British Airways lounge brand and implementing it at airports worldwide. Graven combines a highly creative approach to workplace, education and hospitality environments with in-depth brand expertise, pragmatism and analytical processes. The crossover of 2D and 3D expertise connects building users to their environments and delivers spaces that people like to spend time in! Services: Branding and place branding Interior design Graphic design Communications design Signage and wayfinding
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Top: Liverpool Football Club VIP Lounges at Anfield Stadium Above left: Kelvin Hall © Renzo Mazzolini Photography Above right: City of Glasgow College Riverside Campus © Keith Hunter Photography
City Campus and Riverside Campus Client name: City of Glasgow College Location: Glasgow Graven was an integral part of the GLQ team with Reiach and Hall, MLA and Sir Robert McAlpine working on the City of Glasgow College City Campus and Riverside Campus. Graven’s role has been to develop the approach to the interior design throughout, for the teaching, learning and training facilities with particular focus on social spaces and curriculum resource spaces. Liverpool Football Club VIP Lounges at Anfield Stadium Client: Liverpool Football Club Location: Liverpool Graven designed branding, interiors and signage for two VIP lounges at Anfield Stadium for Liverpool Football Club. The Boardroom Lounge and The Executive Lounge represent the premium hospitality available to guests at Anfield. The lounges form part of the development of the Main Stand at Anfield. Kelvin Hall re-development project Client: Glasgow Life, The University of Glasgow and National Library of Scotland Location: Glasgow Graven collaborated with Page\Park and McLaughlan and Harvey on the redevelopment of Kelvin Hall transforming it into a centre of cultural and sporting excellence providing research facilities, museum stores, office and education space. Graven worked on the interior design, environmental branding, exhibition design and signage and wayfinding throughout.
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Ailsa Court 121 West Regent Street Glasgow G2 2SD Tel: 0141 226 8320 Email: glasgow@hlmarchitects.com Web: www.hlmarchitects.com Twitter: @HLMArchitects
Top left - University of Glasgow, Pilot Rooms Refurbishment ŠClark Contracts Top right - University of Sheffield, Arts Tower Bottom - Intercontinental, Park Lane, London
University of Glasgow, Pilot Rooms Refurbishment In 2015 the University of Glasgow set up the Inspiring Spaces Group to investigate how existing teaching spaces in various buildings across the campus could be refurbished to test new pedagogy methods. HLM assisted with this study by designing these rooms utilising innovative furniture and equipment layouts. Seminar spaces and teaching labs of various sizes were refurbished with capacities ranging from 12 to 85. The project completed in time for the new academic year. HLM are engaging in the post-occupation evaluation during the first year in use with the outcomes providing invaluable feedback for future projects. Intercontinental, Park Lane, London HLM are working with the Intercontinental Hotel Group on a number of projects at their Park Lane Hotel, London. This involves the design and refurbishment of guest bedrooms, restaurant and executive suites. The administrative office space was first to be completed. HLM delivered a high quality office space for essential back of house administrative departments, allowing them to remain fully functional whilst further works commence in various locations throughout the hotel. This workplace environment positively influences the performance of those who use it whilst at the same time delivering a unique internal environment befitting of the Intercontinental brand.
HLM is a leading design practice headquartered in the UK, offering a rare combination of design skills including Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape and Urban Design, Environmental Design and Master planning from nine offices. Our people are our strength, the core of our business and our unique ethos. We are a creative organisation, combining flair, imagination and passion with an informed approach to the critical financial, operational and quality aspects of our projects. We champion the importance of design quality, sustainability and innovation, and our projects are driven by all of these, in pursuit of overall design excellence, but within a core framework or financial affordability. Services: Architecture Interior Design Landscape and Urban Design Environmental Design Masterplanning
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160 West Regent Street Glasgow G2 4RL Email: flow@keppiedesign.co.uk gyeaman@keppiedesign.co.uk ktoner@keppiedesign.co.uk Number of Interior Designers: 8 Number of Architects: 49 Number of Staff: 107 Founded: 1854 Keppie are one of the UK’s leading, independent architectural and interior design practices. Headquartered in Glasgow, the company employs over 100 people across studios based in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness. Keppie counts some of the UK’s top public and private sector companies amongst their Clients and operate across the UK and internationally. Services: Architecture Interior Design Town Planning
Top - Shepherd & Wedderburn Bottom - Health & Care Centre, Ballymena
Office at Level 3, No1 West Regent Street, Glasgow Client: Shepherd & Wedderburn LLP The office facility creates a defined client suite and dynamic work areas for legal teams. The project accommodates around 100 staff and was completed October 2016. Health & Care Centre, Ballymena Client: Health Estates, Northern Ireland The project in Ballymena is the first of three Health and Care Centres to be designed for the Northern Trust. Users began to take advantage of the facility in February 2016. URBAN REALM SPRING 2017 URBANREALM.COM
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5 Forres Street, Edinburgh EH3 6DE Tel: 0131 226 6991 Email: edinburgh@michaellaird.co.uk 83a Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1LF Tel: 0141 255 0222 Email: glasgow@michaellaird.co.uk Web: www.michaellaird.co.uk Michael Laird Architects is one of Scotland’s leading architectural practices responsible for some of the country’s most significant buildings and with many award winning buildings to our name. We are committed to creating imaginative, effective and sustainable buildings and to providing the highest standard of professional service for our clients. We strive to produce architecture that enhances the built environment through contemporary design, which responds sensitively to its context, is environmentally responsible and delivers real value for our clients. The team at MLA is committed to creating highly functional and inspiring spaces to live, work and learn. Services: Architectural Design Interior Design & Workspace Consultancy Master Planning & Urban Design Sectors: Commercial Office Residential Workplace & Interior Education Retail, Hotel & Leisure Data Centre & Industrial Conservation
Fit Out of Quartermile 4, Edinburgh Client: Confidential (Technology Company) Location: Quartermile, Edinburgh An exciting mix of workplace and test lab areas in a new brand environment over five floors of one of Edinburgh’s newest landmark buildings – Quartermile 4. A variety of highly functional, flexible and intensely inspirational spaces and workplace settings for approximately 450 staff.
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5 Advocate’s Close Edinburgh EH1 1ND Tel: 0131 332 4200 Email: lisa@morganmcdonnell.co.uk Web: www.morganmcdonnell.co.uk Twitter: @MM_Architecture Morgan McDonnell are a multi awardwinning Architecture and Interior Design practice based in Edinburgh. They have a wealth of experience working on a wide variety of projects throughout Scotland over the past 20 years, always designing innovative, rational designs with a desire to bring invention and delight to the solution. Often working on new build and refurbishment projects in the residential, commercial and leisure sectors, many of their projects have involved the reuse of Listed Buildings where the challenges lie between preserving the Architectural integrity of these historic buildings whilst creating interesting, well designed solutions.
Top - Drumsheugh Gardens Bottom Left & Right - The Beer Kitchen
Residential Development, 40-44 Drumsheugh Gardens The development comprises 5 no: grade B listed townhouses in the west end of Edinburgh, sensitively reworked, extended and refurbished to form 20 luxury apartments over 35, 000 square feet. These Victorian Italianate buildings, formerly offices, have many beautiful existing features such as columned entrance halls, stunning cornices and impressive square window bays looking over the private gardens. The spaces are reworked and these features are all now restored and complemented by sophisticated, contemporary insertions designed to sit elegantly within this grand Architecture. The Beer Kitchen, St Andrew’s This former Salvation Army meeting hall is home to our 3rd bar/ bistro completed for craft brewers Innis and Gunn. We stripped back the existing internal front gabled wall to reveal warm, rich brickwork adding another dimension to the palette of the previous 2 Beer kitchens. A reworking of an existing mezzanine to replace the glass balustrade with vertical metal balustrading continued externally, now links the aesthetic inside and out onto the first floor terrace. The interior is vibrant and rich with a variety of seating options and a lively bar gantry forms the backdrop rising up through the double height core space. URBAN REALM SPRING 2017 URBANREALM.COM
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378 Leith Walk Edinburgh EH7 4PF Tel: 0131 555 1414
© PHILIPVILE / SEDUS
© MICHAEL WOLCHOVER / SSM
© PAUL DODDS / NMS
Email: a.scott@smith-scott-mullan.co.uk Web: www.smith-scott-mullan.co.uk Twitter: @SSMassociates
Top - Museum of Flight Bottom Left - RBGE Lecture Theatre Bottom Right - AEGON House
National Museum of Flight – Hangar Restoration Client: National of Museum of Scotland, Location: East Lothian, Scotland This conservation project restored two Second World War Hangars in order to accommodate exhibitions of Military and Civilian Aircraft. One of the key aspects of the project was to provide environmental conditions appropriate to the National Aviation Collection and to allow a range of historic objects to be seen by the Public for the first time. RBGE Lecture Theatre Client: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Location: Edinburgh, Scotland This comprehensive refurbishment of a listed Victorian Lecture Theatre in The Royal Botanic Garden involved not only complete replacement of finishes, lighting and furniture, but the return of the space to its original, naturally ventilated, design concept. Unusually for a contemporary Lecture Theatre, it benefits from natural light, giving it an extremely pleasant daytime atmosphere. AEGON House Client: AEGON UK, Location: Lytham, England This project encompassed the refurbishment of 12,500 metres2 of a 1960s Insurance Headquarters. In addition to three open-plan accommodation wings, the reception, common areas and staff restaurant were all radically reconfigured to improve facilities for both staff and visitors. One of the challenges of the project was that all works were undertaken while staff remained on site, through a series decanting arrangements within the existing building.
At Smith Scott Mullan we work across a range of design disciplines, including Interior Design, Architecture and Building Conservation. Creating a good interior requires a wide range of skills and our diversity of experience is beneficial in delivering high quality projects, as it allows a gathering of ideas and techniques from various project types. We have an enthusiasm for designing interiors, as they involve the aspects of buildings that people have direct engagement with and hence influence their enjoyment of the final project. Services: Architecture Interior Design Building Conservation Urbanism