April 5 2023

Scottish Fire & Rescue has taken possession of a new Edinburgh headquarters, following the large-scale remodelling and retrofit of an existing station.

McDonald Road Community Fire Station has been delivered by Smith Scott Mullan Associates (SSM) and Robertson Group, doubling as an active fire station and offices as well as a Museum of Fire Heritage - scheduled to open later this year.

Works entailed rationalising the internal layout of the existing base, stripping out a haphazard accumulation of ad-hoc spaces to create a more functional whole complete with a strengthened street presence and identifiable entrances. This process included a full replacement of the facade while retaining the concrete frame, a process which has saved around 150,000kg of carbon versus demolition.

In a press statement SSM wrote: "Externally, the strategy was to acknowledge the existing mix of horizontal and vertical elements and the inconsistent nature of the structural grid, adopting a defined top and bottom around the principal corner at Dryden Terrace. This approach created a vertical ribbed screen along the ground floor, behind which sit the more private functions and opening up key areas of the building including the museum, principal rooms and key entrances."

The project team included services engineer Pick Everard and F3 building surveyors. 

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