Gilmour's Close Reused and Rewarded

An EWH funded project at Gilmour’s Close in the Grassmarket has been awarded Sustainable Social Housing Refurbishment Project of the Year 2009. 

The project was led by Assist Architects for Hillcrest Housing Association in collaboration with Edinburgh World Heritage, Energy Saving Trust and City of Edinburgh Council. Throughout the historic building, conservation and sustainability measures harmonise where original features were retained and upgraded to higher energy efficiency.

The judges were pleased to see such a successful renewable energy project in the heart of the World Heritage Site. The project has made available 17 new energy efficient affordable homes in two refurbished tenement buildings that were previously disused. Ten of the flats provide specialist accommodations reserved for particularly vulnerable youths.

The judges said: "This was excellent in the face of constraints of site, building type and heritage.’ ‘Good design while solving the technical challenges.This scheme took a historical building with issues and got good sustainable solutions."

The new energy saving measures include a ground source heat pump providing hot water for inter alia under-floor heating, the walls have been complemented with multiple layers of insulation to minimise heat-loss and sash and case windows have been retained, but supplemented with secondary glazing. Natural heating is made use of through sun-spaces on the south facing rear elevation and a heat recovery system spreads the hot air through the building.

Fiona MacDonald, Conservation Architect for Edinburgh World Heritage, said: ‘This project is leading the way for future developments in the built environment and proves that there can be a successful marriage of conservation and energy saving, at the same time as providing affordable homes for people in the city centre.’

She continues: "Traditional buildings (pre-1900) like this, with the sort of energy-saving measures we are seeing here, can be highly energy-efficient and will go a long way to helping us achieve a sustainable future Scotland."