Urban Realm Interiors Report 2022 by Urban Realm

SAUCHIEHALL STREET

PATRICK MACKLIN

The Avenues programme has lent Sauchiehall Street a new lease of life but gap sites still abound

WE ARE BORED I N THE C I TY PATRICK MACKLIN, DEPUTY HEAD OF THE SCHOOL OF DESIGN AT THE GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, UNDERTAKES AN INFORMAL SURVEY OF SAUCHIEHALL STREET’S MULTIPLYING VACANT, VOID AND BROWNFIELD LAND TO SEE WHETHER THE AVENUES PROGRAMME HAS PUT IT BACK ON TRACK.

Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow stretches 1.5 miles (2.5km) from the city’s central core to Kelvingrove in the west end. En-route it is criss-crossed by other streets, the names of which evoke flowers, gemstones, waterways, even Hope itself. In recent years, if certain headlines are to be believed, feelings of the latter have been in short supply, however closer inspection offers alternative readings. Things change. The street’s central section, from the city centre to Charing X, with its mid-nineteenth century shops, offices, recreational spaces, tenement flats and free-standing houses, was once a mere pathway through a willow grove. A casual survey of its current >

SAUCHIEHALL STREET

Left - Macklin welcomes the prioritisation of people over vehicles Middle - The Glasgow School of Art Fire has torn a hole in the heart of the neighbourhood Right - Trees and cycle lanes give the street and passersby room to breathe

early twenty-first century manifestation reveals a place in flux, expressed through sharp contrast and surprising blends of occupancy. Presumptions abound that the place enjoyed better days, before being blighted by an undeserved super-concentration of vacant and brownfield sites clustered between the mall in the east and the motorway in the west. Considering ongoing shockwaves from the financial crisis, radical brick-andpixel alternatives to the high-street and, more recently, the impacts of the pandemic, it is astonishing that it persists at all. Beginning with the 1970’s pedestrianisation of the street’s easternmost blocks, prioritisation of pavement over highway has extended westwards with the recent piloting of the city’s ‘Avenues Project’. As well as introducing comprehensive traffic-calming strategies, this provides a strong connecting thread through the neighbourhood and firmly asserts the importance of people over motorised vehicles. In January of this year a long overdue adjustment to the Highway Code (rules H1– 3) gave priority to pedestrians, then cyclists (and people on horseback) at road junctions. In a gridded city such as Glasgow this has a significant impact on the ebb and flow URBAN REALM SPRING 2022 URBANREALM.COM

of people. Despite this, an impressively enhanced linearity remains bisected or awkwardly abutted by perpendicular routes, as a result, navigation on foot or on wheels, is an episodic experience and transitions between its various segments are far from gentle segues. There is dramatic contrast between the north and south sides of the street. Active retail units, banks, barbers, bars, and restaurants are evenly distributed between each. Supermarkets dominate the north side, as do pharmacies. The jewel-like Mackintosh designed tearooms face north. Restaurants and cafés are evenly shared but fast-food is doubly concentrated in the south. The sunny side houses a military museum, ‘Scotland’s Biggest Nightclub’, a university dental hospital, the CCA (Centre for Contemporary Arts), Savoy Market and three gap sites. Newsagents are predominant across the road, one incorporating a Post Office. Nearby, behind the façade of the former La Scala cinema, is one of the few remaining and largest bookshops in the country. Notwithstanding this plethora of activity there is a tangible sense of vacancy here. Glasgow, in contrast to other cities, has a comparatively small number of its citizens living in its

centre, moreover it has experienced an especially slow return to office working. Considerable numbers of former commuters, at least those able to continue operating remotely are either choosing to do so or are compelled to. As a result, the presence of people may never recover to pre-pandemic levels, this is bad for business, and an unnatural hush descends on the place by early evening. Heading into spring, with the pandemic and associated restrictions further easing, the number of vacant units, ranging in scale from compact to substantial, is haunting. Empty shop units and silent bars sit either in clusters or monumental isolation. Evenly sprinkled Deco era buildings which, last century, housed some of the areas celebrated high-street stores, department stores and banks, including C&A M&S, Watt Brothers and Bank of Scotland, are emptied or may soon be so. In the six years since BHS collapsed eight out of ten of this type of retail space has vanished from our cities. There is an understandable nostalgia for landmark retail, and department stores especially. They often occupy prominent sites within provincial cities, providing legibility and expression of place, but it is useful to remember that, once upon a time, they might have absorbed the

haberdasher, the milliner, and the perfumier, just as the supermarket consumed the butcher, the baker, and latterly, the candlestick maker. Sentimentality cannot insulate city centres from the impact of the seismic shifts in shopping habits that have only accelerated over the last decade, particularly those of the technologically facilitated variety, and became universal during the pandemic. Throughout the pandemic the interior was subject to unprecedented levels of attention as vast numbers of people across the world were ordered to stay at home and streets emptied. When we could eventually go out, masked, we tentatively exited our dwellings, like scubadivers leaving submarines, or astronauts departing from the protection of a spacecraft. We were confronted with transformed spaces. As we had physically distanced everything had effectively shrunk, we needed more space to do the same things. Where we could we began to encroach onto the street. This shock has drawn fresh focus on practices such as adaptive reuse and transformation. Students in the Interior Design studios at The Glasgow School of Art focus on both these tactics as sustainable ways to revive and revolutionise the way we use and view our city. This may be through detailed focus >

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on compact specialist retail design and acknowledge both implicit and explicit context while folding-in the changing nature of shopping itself. These students express their imaginative concerns and obsessions in other ways too, including through emergent typologies such as inter-generational living or critical co-working, and all within existing building fabric, including substantial, and awkward, heritage buildings, preserving, and augmenting genius loci and reprioritising uses of space. The city’s streets are dissected, the logic of their formation exposed, and inventories are created. Suggested alternative occupancy is defined, ranging in tenor from polite interventions to radical remodelling, the emphasis is on interiority. These approaches, working with what is there and sensitively retuning, are not new, but have become increasingly urgent. From Lacaton and Vassals ‘never demolish’ provocation to ‘The Dutch Atlas of Vacancy’ (RAAAF, 2014) – an inventory of circa ten thousand publicly owned, unoccupied buildings in the Netherlands – the latent capacity of empty/at-risk buildings is made obvious. The sheer amount of wasted built resource, and embodied energy, hiding in plain sight has reached crisis level. A quite different record of superabundance and its impact can be found in Laura Oldfield Ford’s ‘Savage Messiah’ (originally produced in 2005). Its collaged representations of a particular and complex urban reality find an echo in ‘Reactivate Athens’ (2017), itself an assemblage of critical design proposals for that city, as a means of offsetting some of the shock waves generated by the 2008 economic crisis. Where there are gaps a form of solid collaging such as that found in ‘168 Upper Street’ (Groupwork, 2019) may be an appropriate strategy. This building takes digitally facilitated layering and playful fragmentation to new levels allowing its interior to express itself, unburdened by its envelope. Glasgow’s ‘City Centre Living Strategy’ targets a doubling of the city centre’s population by 2035 (from 20–40k). As well as places to shop these additional people will need a greater blend of high-quality places to live, work, relax and heal, additional public and green space, community clinics, spaces for experimentation. In city centre locations this is currently a challenge. There are simultaneously too many shops and not enough, too many square metres devoted to consumption and too few devoted to creation. We were bored in the city. We can no longer afford to be. URBAN REALM SPRING 2022 URBANREALM.COM

McLellan Works is drawing a new breed of co-working space alongside a public entrance to the gallery

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The James McCune Smith Learning Hub by HLM provides a Covid-proof learning environment in the heart of Glasgow URBAN REALM SPRING 2022 URBANREALM.COM

THE

I NS I DE T RACK FLEXIBILITY, WELLNESS AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE THE WATCH WORDS ON EVERYBODY’S LIPS BUT WHAT DO THESE OFTEN NEBULOUS TERMS MEAN WHEN TRANSLATED TO THE LANGUAGE OF INTERIOR DESIGN? WE SPEAK TO THOSE DELIVERING THESE ASPIRATIONS TO ESTABLISH WHAT THEY REALLY MEAN.

Anna Lee Senior Interior Designer HLM Architects How is the demand for adaptable and flexible spaces impacting your work? The demand for ‘flexibility’ is huge, the hybrid work landscape will continue to evolve as we’re all re-establishing how we want to work, how teams meet and how the organisation intents to foster their internal culture. However, understanding the degree of ‘flexibility’ is paramount, it is not about making everything ‘flexible’. It is important to work closely with the client to identify the key functions of work that need to be supported and matching it with the right category of spaces. This way, users can comfortably make adjustments within these zones, whilst there are still design cues to help inform the designed functions and behaviours, as well as the mechanisms in place to manage it. When teams are allowed to solve for themselves what is best for their work patterns, it can be very empowering. How do we design our environment around wellness? Given the collective experiences of the last 2 years, designing around wellness, wholistically, is more important now than ever. Beyond providing comfortable environments with good air, light, and acoustic quality that considers our physical wellbeing, it is critical that ©DAVID BARBOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

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©DAVID BARBOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

Hybrid working demands a fresh approach to design where the boundaries of work, play and home are no longer clear cut

workspaces also do more to improve our mental wellbeing, reduce stress and provide psychological safety. Things we can do to include space planning strategies to manage the level of energy/activity on a floorplate; fit for purpose spaces to suit different styles of collaboration; good wayfinding and technology tools to reduce user frustration; employing biophilic principles to appeal to our senses, connect us to a more natural state; social spaces to develop sense of community and belonging; providing dedicated areas for respite and reflection. Finally, the quality of spaces that help us live out our hybrid lives – personal spaces such as mothering rooms, prayer rooms, space to take a personal phone call, can make a big difference to employee’s overall wellbeing. What are you doing to improve sustainability? By combining innovative sustainable design with the practicalities of achieving statutory compliance and accreditation, we can generate long term environmental and commercial value for our clients. By adopted the targets and approach set out by the RIBA in their 2030 Sustainable Outcomes Guide, we are determined to guide and influence our clients. We have set ourselves a bold and ambitious goal that all projects designed in our studios will be capable of meeting these targets by 2025. Our aim is simple, to deliver the highest performing buildings which have a positive impact on the lives of those who use them and a positive impact on the world for future generations. URBAN REALM SPRING 2022 URBANREALM.COM

Amy Wootton Architect 56three Architects How are our work environments evolving? The hybrid model of working has challenged our understanding of how a workspace should look and function. The pandemic presented a unique opportunity for our own office to undergo a conflict-free refurbishment. M&E requirements became a fundamental consideration, largely to facilitate hot desking, and creating additional breakout spaces for use during video call meetings, lunch breaks etc. became a priority. More homely features have also been incorporated, such as coffee tables, lounge chairs and decorative planting. This desire to create adaptable, comfortable, and ultimately less commercial workspaces, is a trend we are starting to see externally too, which is exciting. How is the demand for adaptable and flexible spaces impacting your work? Inevitably, we have seen increased demand from clients wanting spaces that adapt to users – particularly in commercial settings. There is also an increased appetite for conversion and interior fit-out projects, partially due to behavioural changes (large office / retail spaces becoming redundant), and partially because of the financial risk that >

56three deliver a ‘conflict-free’ office refurbishment at Borough High Street, London

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large, new build projects can present. We embrace these projects, as they can offer clients a faster return for less investment, whilst allowing us to flex our interior design skillset. We are passionate about adapting buildings that have become ineffective – creating beautiful, commercially viable and functional spaces as a result. How do we design our environment around wellness? Again, this comes back to the idea of creating interiors that work harmoniously with occupants. As a practice offering both Architectural and Interior Design services, we are able to suggest building modifications that ensure adequate space is provided for features such as amenity and natural lighting, whilst minimising and carefully integrating M&E services into environments in the least impactful way possible. We believe that the concept of biophilia is also fundamental to creating healthy spaces, and wherever possible look to include planting in our interior projects. Combined with natural light and ventilation, stress levels can be reduced and performance enhanced.

Kenny Fraser Director Michael Laird Architects What project best encapsulates your practice approach? We would suggest that Brodies LLP’s new Edinburgh home on the top floors of Capital Square in Edinburgh best encapsulates our approach and, in some way, reflects our own values – Considerate, Innovative, Passionate. Considerate - This project was four years in the making with an excellent client team who were willing to explore the past and learn from previous office designs and how they operated. They took the time to ask their team and learn. Innovative - Brodies knew that their old (cellular) Edinburgh office restricted their working practices and how they interacted with each other. They were willing to be innovative in exploring new collaborative working practices and to create a space that is intentionally less corporate and reflective of their brand and team culture. Passionate – There is a clear passion as the team embrace the limitless opportunities in their new home. Within the first few weeks of occupation, we are witnessing a real excitement from the Brodies team as they experiment with each new worksetting and explore every nook and cranny of the new office. How are our work environments evolving? The workplace has been evolving for years and, whilst the pandemic certainly disrupted….well…..E V E R Y T H I N G, it could be argued that it just really accelerated what was URBAN REALM SPRING 2022 URBANREALM.COM

already underway in workplace design….particularly in the technology solutions world. Now that the ‘dust’ is (hopefully) settling on this pandemic, it is clear that, whilst the ‘virtual’ will always have its place in our workplace, it’s the ‘physical’ and ‘real’ that reminds us what it is to be human and part of a team and is fundamental to our own health and wellbeing. How is the demand for adaptable and flexible spaces impacting your work? The move towards more agile worksetting choices has been evolving for some time now. With the quantum leap in comms technology over the last two years, many organisations are now realising that they can really experiment with their teams as to how they will work together in the future. Change and flexibility is therefore inevitable and very exciting. It brings new challenges and introduces new hybrid concepts of the workplace which blur the boundaries between hospitality, office and home environments. As interior designers we are finding the furniture supplier industry is playing more of an important design role in this area. This relationship works both ways, is very rewarding and helps balance all of the ergonomics, acoustics, adaptability, costs and ’day two’ service considerations on each project.

Left - Michael Laird Architects have delivered a neutral palette defined by rich colours for Brodies in Edinburgh Right - Keppie Design ensure that spaces can be readily rearranged when necessary, as at the main entrance to the planned New Monklands University Hospital. Image by Float Digital

Afiyah Shafi Interior Designer Keppie How are our work environments evolving? The WFH experience has opened people’s eyes to the ways that technology can support us in our work, and where work is done. Businesses are really being challenged to create engaging work environments that draw-in remote workers, and new talent. Future workplaces will need to evolve from a static form to a more ‘connecting’ experience. The office is becoming a ‘town square-like’ hub energised by the buzz of occupants coming together to connect, collaborate, focus, or simply socialise. Those ‘hub’ spaces will take on a new form with many elements borrowed from home-life and hospitality experiences, bringing welcome comfort and familiarity. How is the demand for adaptable and flexible spaces impacting your work? As our world faces resource scarcities and ecological crises, a concern for the adaptability of buildings and the spaces within, is especially relevant. Adaptability allows current and future functions to be fulfilled more efficiently

thus spaces remain longer in service. Interior spaces that can respond to change faster and at lower cost guarantee viability for longer. That agility (flexibility) will shift traditional thinking. Of course, space’s ability to be rearranged easily as and when necessary, relies on clarity of project vision – A notable example for Keppie being our work on the NHS Louisa Jordan, step-down facility – a fully operational 1000+ bed hospital, conceived and delivered within the existing SEC buildings in only 23 days. How do we design our environment around wellness? We believe that interior environments should develop with people’s wellness central to the design vision. Businesses whose operations and behaviours focus on health and wellness in a holistic way, attract and retain happy workers and benefit from multi-layered cultural gains. The embrace of the ‘WELL’ standard sets a performancebased measure, certification, and monitoring framework. As designers, we believe it our duty to encourage healthy habits that support physical and mental wellbeing. One positive post Covid 19 is the elevation of such issues, with employers, developers and operators looking much harder at worker amenities and how these with their business culture function to protect and promote well-being.

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‘Clockwise’ in Leith by Morgan Architects has delivered a timely 30,000sq/ft of converted warehouse space

Lisa Morgan Director Morgan Architects Ltd What project best encapsulates your practice approach? We love a complicated project and our flexible workspace project, ‘Clockwise’ at Commercial Quay is no exception! With almost 30,000 sq ft of former warehouse space to be refurbished, it was not only the complex internal architecture but also the program brief that was complex. A complement of different workspaces was required including meeting rooms, on-site café, independent craft brewery bar and extensive break-out. Modifications over the years had resulted in a mix of contrasting structures, ceiling heights and floor levels across all buildings, making this a challenging project to complete, especially with existing tenants in occupation throughout the build. The de-furbished aesthetic, cool break out, café and bar provide a popular addition to Leith. How are our work environments evolving? Flexibility for the workforce has been brought to the fore as we transition out of working from home. Occupiers URBAN REALM SPRING 2022 URBANREALM.COM

are looking for different types of space, after the privacy of home working - enter the phone booth and the zoom room! Technology is making most things possible and along with online meeting platforms and advances in internal fittings and fixtures, a touch free world is becoming more achievable. Sustainable interiors should still be the focus and companies producing interior finishes are developing some interesting products with carbon negative being the goal, rather than just carbon neutral. What are you doing to improve sustainability? Sustainability is a fundamental driver for Morgan Architects’ design output. We continue to champion the sensitive and intelligent reuse of existing buildings. This, combined with innovative building systems and a sustainable approach to material specification, has meant each design has sustainability at its core. For each of our interior projects, we utilise every opportunity to re-use and re-purpose existing building fabric and fit-out materials, and take a ‘fabric-first’ approach to future-proofing the buildings we design and refurbish. Our focus is on creating timeless, resilient and sustainable interiors, that also provide delight for their users.

14 Alva Street Edinburgh EH24QG Tel: 0131 220 3003 Email: info@56three.com Web: www.56three.com 56three is a design based Architectural and Interior Design Practice with projects covering new build, conservation and refurbishment works throughout the UK. We have an award winning team of architects, technicians and interior designers who are able to provide the full range of architectural services from feasibility through to construction. We work in a collaborative way with relevant stakeholders and planning authorities to embed sustainable solutions providing optimum land and building values, and to deliver the potential for long-lasting and enjoyable places in which to live, work and play.

Borough High Street, Office Refurbishment, London Client: Empiric Student Property / Hello Student Borough High Street was an office refurbishment project, on which we were engaged to provide Architectural and Interior Design services. On initial consultation, we were asked to re-imagine the spaces available, creating zones - each providing unique functions. Although the space available was largely open plan, we aspired to create distinctive office, dining, breakout, and meeting zones, each expressed by their own aesthetic, and all with a comfortable and homely feel. By enhancing original features, such as exposed brick walls, we celebrated the buildings heritage, whilst praying out cable trays to a heritage gold, and specifying vast amounts of planting, gave the space a luxurious, fresh and choreographed feel. Multi-functional furniture punctuates the floor plan, facilitating everything from large, formal meetings to small, casual catch ups. As well as advising on interiors, we co-ordinated M&E, and suggested how best to adapt existing services to compliment the intended aesthetic. When managing internal partition alterations, we created open, light filled spaces –largely through the extensive use of reeded glazing. We understand that client feels that this refurbishment has been very successful, and that the resulting space offers a broad variety of flexible spaces, within an attractive setting.

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2nd Floor Ailsa Court 121 West Regent Street Glasgow G2 2SD Tel: 0141 226 8320 Email: glasgow@hlmarchitects.com Web: www.hlmarchitects.com Twitter: @HLMArchitects Thoughtful design to make better places for people. We listen and respond to the ambitions of our clients and understand the needs of the people who will use the places and spaces we create. We strive to create places of education that inspire, healthcare environments that nurture, homes that are part of thriving communities, and infrastructure that is sustainable in every sense: environmentally, economically and socially. Our sector-led approach and dedication to retaining our deep rooted regional connections, coupled with a thoughtful approach to design, enables us to differentiate from our peers. Services: Architecture Interior Architecture Landscape Architecture Masterplanning Environmental Sustainability.

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James Smith McCune Learning Hub Client: University of Glasgow The new learning and teaching hub, which forms the initial phase of this expansion programme, will create a signature gateway building at the heart of the expanded Campus based on active learning pedagogies. The University is undertaking an ambitious expansion programme to further enhance its global standing and provide a positive impact on the community it serves. The design has been inspired and driven by user consultation at every level, emphasising the student experience to provide an environment that is open and accessible for all. Its mixture of lecture theatres, small group rooms, breakout and study areas reflects a growing trend in making faculty areas more bespoke, and focussing general teaching in a shared learning hub that embraces new teaching pedagogies and optimises space utilisation. To fully understand the user aspirations, HLM visited exemplar schemes in Australia with the University, and then trialled new learning pedagogies in a series of pilot rooms in an adjacent building. This has enabled HLM to work with academics to test new approaches such as flipped classrooms and TEAL spaces and define the FF&E and IT needed to support this. The resultant scheme, which opened its doors in April 2021, improves cohesiveness and connectivity across the campus in a building that showcases formal and informal learning and teaching through a welcoming, open environment and encourages students to linger – a sticky campus.

160 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 4RL Email: info@keppiedesign.co.uk Web: www.keppiedesign.co.uk Twitter: @Keppie_Design We take pride in being extremely easy people to work with and are of course a trusted partner on private and public sector projects. We’re regularly collaborating with exciting people within the biggest names in construction, engineering, architecture, and design across the globe. From Arts & Culture to Healthcare, from Education to Sport, from Finance to Retail - we have a fully exportable skill set that makes a real difference wherever we work. Our global agility allows us to alead and collaborate on a fantastically diverse and inspiring portfolio. Services: Architecture Interior Design Planning

New Monklands University Hospital Client: NHS Lanarkshire The relationship of interior spaces to human experience is an acknowledged central consideration - the important ‘experiential’ factor – equal, if not more important in a future looking hospital. The developing interior design at New Monklands University Hospital places staff, patients, and visitors central to all considerations. The design establishes a bespoke interior identity inspired by ‘the village’ metaphor, set within the undulating woodland character of the selected Wester Moffat site. An identity symbolic of the diverse local cultures and gathered spaces that flex allowing different functional activities to fuse together. Streets, squares, and gardens are composed to bring diversity of space, green outlook, and personality. Early in the planning over-arching ‘rules’ set a clarity to orientation and wayfinding. This places staff spaces centrally reducing journey times and affording easy access to external spaces for respite. Throughout the ‘hospital village’ interior spaces embrace opportunities to connect with the outdoors. Campus-wide digital technologies are the baseline, and the design has grabbed the expansive potential digital mediums offer for animating interior spaces - we love the idea of spaces changing; never the same twice, and users able to influence their direct environment?

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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: michaellaird.co.uk Twitter: @MLA_Ltd Instagram: michaellairdarchitects LinkedIn: Michael Laird Architects At MLA we believe the interaction of people and place has the potential to transform the way we live and work. By working with our clients collaboratively we create spaces that proudly stand the test of time. Services: Architectural Design Interior & Workplace Design Strategic Consultancy CDM Consultancy

New Workplace for Brodies LLP Client: Brodies, Capital Square, Edinburgh Scottish Law firm Brodies decided to move from their traditional home at Atholl Crescent in the City’s West End to new, bespoke premises in the top three floors of Capital Square. MLA were appointed to provide workplace strategy and interior design services to create a flexible, agile workplace that also maximised the amazing views over Edinburgh. Following a full consultation process with the client, our fit-out provides a rich and tactile workplace environment that is smart, welcoming, brand consistent, and supportive of agile, flexible working. Workspace is supported by meeting, training & conference rooms, breakout hubs and a café, whilst a bespoke internal stair provides a central focus point that also promotes connectivity between departments. URBAN REALM SPRING 2022 URBANREALM.COM

5 Advocate’s Close Edinburgh EH1 1ND Tel: 0131 332 4200 Email: lisa@morganarchitects.co.uk Web: www.morganarchitects.co.uk Twitter: @MorganArchitects Instagram: @morganarchitects Linkedin: @Morgan Architects Ltd Morgan Architects is an Architecture and Interior Design Practice based in Edinburgh and working throughout the UK. Established in 1995, the practice has recently rebranded and is headed by Guy Morgan and Lisa Morgan. We are recognized as the ‘go to’ Architects for solving building designs in challenging sites; where listed buildings require reworking to ensure their future viability, where planning for new build is sensitive and requires strong relationships with both council and stakeholders, where our passion and hard work leads to us designing buildings and interiors that are rational, interesting and the best they can possibly be.

Clockwise, Commercial Quay, Edinburgh Client: Castleforge Our brief was to design the first serviced offices in Edinburgh for ‘Clockwise’, the developer’s flexible office operator. The Category ‘A’ listed buildings were originally built as bonded warehouses to store claret, bootlegged via the Baltic states during the Napoleonic wars, and latterly to store whisky until the 1980s. The buildings had to work hard, to support a diverse mix of accommodation notably; hot desking, dedicated desks, and 2 – 12-person private offices whilst also providing exemplary break out-spaces. These included a café, tea preps, both casual and bookable meeting spaces and a variety of touch down points throughout the buildings for casual working and dining. We also converted the impressive brick vaulted space in No. 80, previously a gunpowder store, to an on-site craft brewery bar for a local brewer providing a fantastic additional on-site benefit for tenants and locals alike. Inspired by the stories of the building’s past, we strove to design meaningful interiors with a characterful richness, using natural materials influenced by the rich golden and ruby red hues of the whisky and claret stored here in the past. One of the challenges was delivering this, circa 30,000 sq ft of refurbished office space whilst working around existing tenants.