THE site of former public toilets in the Morningside area of Edinburgh has been transformed into a new five-storey residential building.
The development, by Rennick Property, regenerates the site and provides ‘rarely offered’ new homes in the area.
To make way for the new build, derelict toilets at 7 Canaan Lane, Morningside, had to be demolished. Now standing in their place is an apartment block with natural sandstone facade, described as complementing and blending in with both the character and look of the next-door tenement and surrounding buildings.
Andrew Rennick, founder and MD of Rennick Property, said, “This is a stunning new property just off Morningside Road providing eight new apartments and two penthouse suites featuring impressive glass balustrade balconies. The property includes a private entrance for residents and a lift to all floors.”
Unusually for a building of this height, the five-storey development was constructed from timber frame. Edinburgh-based structural engineers, Will Rudd, provided support before and throughout the construction, advising on the timber frame structure, as well as foundations and drainage works.
Craig D’Arcy, lead structural engineer from Will Rudd, commented, “We used timber frame as it’s sustainable, has low embodied energy and is lightweight. However, one of the challenges of working with timber is the initial shrinkage and the design team had to carefully consider the detailing prior to the build.
“Given the site’s location – a tenement on one side and a new build house on the other, with Canaan Road bordering the south elevation – site access and construction challenges had to be planned for. However, working alongside my colleagues, Ana Rodrigues and Paul Gillespie, and closely with Rennick, the design team and other contractors, we were able to deliver the project with minimal disruption.
“This new building breathes life into a site that was in a dilapidated state, providing additional housing in a particularly busy part of the city. Will Rudd is proud to have worked with Rennick Property to revitalise the site. Now that it’s complete, we are seeing just how brilliant an addition this property is to Morningside.”
Andrew Rennick added, “We are proud of the work that we have done to transform these derelict public toilets into a beautiful new residential building. Will Rudd has been invaluable in providing their expertise in what was a tricky construction site.”
