Springwell House

Originally constructed in 1840 Springwell House was built to house the Edinburgh Magdalene Asylum when it moved from Tolbooth Wynd in the Canongate. Subsequently used by the City of Edinburgh Council as a Social Work Centre, the buildings had been significantly altered, extended and finally vacated as the services were moved elsewhere.

Our project to restore Springwell House for AMA (New Town) Ltd was a delicate balance of conservation, refurbishment and extension of the Category C Listed existing building alongside new-build townhouses and a lodge house to form high-end residential properties for private sale. Externally the building retains many fine architectural features and significant fabric repairs have been undertaken to bring the building up to current technical standards, whilst protecting an important piece of Edinburgh’s architectural heritage for generations to come.

Sympathetic landscaping enhances the surroundings of the buildings and creates high quality shared garden areas to the front and a new mews access to the rear. All historic internal features had been removed during previous renovations by City of Edinburgh Council, however the building retained high ceilings and large, interesting volumes. These have been retained and maximised as part of the renovation with virtually every apartment having a unique layout.

Each layout responds to particular features within the building such as large windows, interesting roof spaces, double height volumes and opportunities to flood the space with natural light. The project has played an important role in the regeneration of the local area. Gorgie City Farm is the direct neighbour to the West and significant landscaping works were undertaken alongside the refurbishment of the huge historic boundary wall between the properties to enhance facilities on the farm whilst facilitating development of the site.

Maintaining and retrofitting the existing building with significant fabric upgrades, photovoltaic panels and centralised ventilation systems has retained the embodied carbon with a reduced carbon footprint for both the development and the building in use. Increasing the density of the site, has provided high quality city living with a wide range of unit types and easy access to local amenities and public transport, to create the opportunity for a long term sustainable community in the heart of West Edinburgh.