Category: ARCHITECTURE: Retrofit

High Sunderland, the 1957 modernist icon designed by Peter Womesley for Bernat and Margaret Klein, required sensitive and complex restoration after weather and fire damage in 2017. Loader Monteith and their clients saw the accident as a positive opportunity to restore and enhance the Scottish borders woodland retreat to its original Womesley vision, with new invisible sustainable upgrades. Upon appointment, an intense period of damage appraisal ensued led by Loader Monteith’s conservation specialist, Iain King. In researching the project, Loader […]

The converted building was a commercial unit built in the early 1900’s. Most recently it operated as a sauna until purchased in 2014 by a developer who planned to convert it into a three bedroomed residential dwelling. Work started in 2014 saw multiple partial structural changes. 12 months in, work stopped and remained static for six years. As a shell, the property offered the opportunity to explore options away from conforming to the surrounding tenements. As my first development, the […]

The repair and conversion of the Abbey Strand buildings to house a new Learning Centre and apartments is a central element of ‘Future Programme’ at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, an ambitious series of projects commissioned by Royal Collection Trust (RCT) designed to open up spaces previously closed to the public, and to transform the experience of visiting the palace.   Located at the foot of the Royal Mile at the threshold of the palace site, the Abbey Strand buildings comprise some of the […]

The Old Schoolhouse project demonstrates how a listed building can be creatively repurposed in a sustainable way on a limited budget (£340,000). The Category B listed building is a space that not only serves the needs of our clients, Cornerstone Church, but the wider community. For 200 years the building has served the local population and it was Cornerstone’s vision to extend this to create a busy and bustling civic space that would act as a vibrant centre for community life. We worked with […]

Simpson & Brown was appointed as architect for the radical transformation of this Category B-listed department store to immersive whisky visitor experience and global brand home as the centrepiece of Diageo’s £185M investment in Scottish Whisky Tourism. 2020 coincided with the 200-year anniversary of Johnnie Walker, the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky. The project sought to bring back into use a vacant but iconic and well-loved Edinburgh landmark and provide it with a dynamic and appropriate new use. Diageo looked to […]

A new Learning and Teaching Building for the University of Strathclyde City Centre Campus. This 20,000sqm project strips out and refurbishes two existing buildings, the Colville Building and the B-listed Architecture Building, and also creates a new-build hub in between overlooking the University’s Rottenrow Gardens. This non-departmental facility comprises a variety of learning and teaching environments, ranging from small breakout to a 400 seat lecture theatre and also houses Student Support Services and the Student Union to provide staff and […]

This project is located on Market Street in the centre of Edinburgh and comprises two separate, but adjoining properties – extending the existing Fruitmarket Gallery by bringing an original fruit warehouse and former nightclub [Nos36-39] immediately adjacent to the existing gallery venue [No45] into cultural use. The proposals form one single extended venue for the Gallery, renovating and improving existing gallery facilities, adding new gallery space & learning suite and relocating new ancillary accommodation across both buildings accessed via a […]