March 9 2020

Artisan Real Estate Investors have undertaken the latest in a series of public consultations describing plans to redevelop Edinburgh’s Abbeyhill Industrial Estate to provide a mix of new housing complementing a newly completed Bellway Homes project.

Brought forward with Unite Students the scheme will transform half a hectare of brownfield land through the creation of a linear student block along Abbey Lane together with two mainstream residential blocks arranged around a shared amenity courtyard.

Latest thinking has seen the design team comprising CDA, Allan Murray Architects and HarrisonStevens tweak the height and massing of their proposals to reduce the proportion of accommodation on offer to 66 flats (a quarter of which will be classed as affordable) and 298 student beds.

A series of stepped green roofs have been specified with feature ‘pop-ups’ and setbacks to animate the roofscape and accommodate dramatic south-facing views to the Salisbury Crags. At ground level meanwhile, pavements will be widened and an active street frontage fostered with a new community facility.

Landscaping works will also include a maintaining a green corridor along an adjacent railway together with tree and shrub planting to boost biodiversity.

Demolition is expected to commence within a matter of weeks before a start on site being made in November, with occupation anticipated by autumn 2022.

4 Comments

#1 Posted by CM on 9 Mar 2020 at 11:45 AM

I always wondered when this site would make way for student accommodation. Surprised it lasted this long.

#2 Posted by basho on 9 Mar 2020 at 12:44 PM

Great design - good to see roofs being used as outdoor space - a hundred times better than the utter mince-fest that is the newly completed development next door.

#3 Posted by Daniel on 11 Mar 2020 at 10:23 AM

UR - presume you mean 298 student beds, not flats?

It's a real shame this redevelopment isn't coming alongside some improvements to London Road, which is still massive and overbearing and often clogged. It's a real obvious route for a dedicated BRT or similar (which could be a future tram extension). That this hasn't been considered and there's no mechanisms in place mean that there's money being lost here. A shame.

#4 Posted by UR on 11 Mar 2020 at 11:07 AM

Sorry, yes. That should be beds. 298 is the latest 'approximate' figure

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