SCOTLAND’S unique system of apartment ownership means homeowners must work together to ensure buildings are maintained safely and effectively – but in the case of historic properties, it requires a whole team of experts, according to Ed Cooper, regional director of FirstPort Scotland.
From traditional stone masonry and heritage roofing to bespoke joinery and conservation craftsmanship, maintaining Scotland’s historic buildings depends on protecting specialist skills that have been passed down through generations.
One example is the A-listed The Playfair at Donaldson’s in Edinburgh, a landmark building on the edge of the city’s World Heritage Site. Transformed into 110 luxury apartments by City & Country, this building, once the Donaldson’s School for the Deaf, was designed by William Playfair in the 1840s in the style of a Jacobean palace. Covering 12,400 sq m and adorned with towers and quadrangles, it’s one of the most recognisable buildings on the city’s skyline.
Maintaining a building of such importance cannot be left to piecemeal repairs and maintenance, which is why homeowners opted for FirstPort to manage the property in 2021. From contractors skilled in roofing and leading, to artists, gardeners, engineers and window cleaners, ensuring The Playfair at Donaldson’s is in the top condition is more than a full-time job.
Forman Developments has been visiting the site for over a year. MD Paul Gifford and contract manager Ash Rafiq are renovation experts who have worked on many of the city’s major buildings. “We have to be super sympathetic towards the building, the materials, the fabric and also the clientele that are residing here,” said Paul. “Sometimes it can be a real challenge to source the right materials – in fact, heritage projects always come with unique challenges. It needs a lot of forward planning, making sure everything’s in place so that when the time comes that you need it, it’s there.”
Projects like this rely on craftspeople who understand historic materials and traditional construction methods.
Working on an occupied building is very different from a construction site. “We need to treat residents with care and respect,” added Paul. “The waste management has to be handled well so we don’t keep a skip on site. We have a trailer that arrives and waste is taken away every day to prevent any fire or trip hazards – the residents have been very supportive of that, and the feedback’s been phenomenal. Communication is the key.
“Finding the right materials and the right person to produce what you need to out of those materials could probably be a challenge for some people. But I’ve been in construction for over 20 years and it all comes down to who you know. A lot of stuff is made bespoke. We work with two or three workshops that will make anything we require. If there’s a moulding in these buildings that’s damaged, for example, we can take a sample and provide it to these workshops that mould different routers and shape them perfectly, like for like. That’s a luxury we have, being based in Edinburgh and knowing the site.”
Brian McIntyre, production director at roofing contractor Bain & Irvine, is another regular on site at The Playfair at Donaldson’s, caring for the slate roof for the past four years. “There aren’t many better places to work than this – it’s one of the most prestigious buildings in Edinburgh. I grew up in Edinburgh, so I used to pass it quite a lot on the way to Tynecastle Park and it’s as iconic as Edinburgh Castle.
“When we come in, we go around every slated panel, and if any slates are missing or broken, we replace them. You’ll get the odd one here and there, because of the weather, especially as we’ve had a couple of storms in the past few years. It’s very much a case of keeping on top of everything.”
FirstPort’s role also extends beyond traditional maintenance, including caring for the artwork displayed throughout the building.
Edinburgh-based artist Liana Moran at Edinburgh Illustrations has a dozen of her architectural drawings of Scottish landmarks on show at The Playfair at Donaldson’s, including studies of the docks at work and the construction of the Forth rail bridge. “It’s brilliant to have my work on display here,” she said. “It’s so nice that they’ve gone with the bigger paintings as well. because many people buy smaller prints that fit more easily within their homes. So, seeing it in this scale makes it much better.”
Caring for buildings such as The Playfair at Donaldson’s is about more than maintenance; it is also about helping to protect Scotland’s architectural and cultural heritage by supporting the people and skills that keep these historic landmarks thriving.
Raymond Grant, FirstPort development manager at The Playfair, concluded, “The Playfair at Donaldson’s is a testament to all those who work on it, and the relationships we have all built with residents there. When you have that relationship with the community, they trust you and you trust them, which is a great foundation – trust is a massive thing, and we are delighted that the homeowners there have put their trust in us to maintain this iconic heritage building.”
