Wooden apartment building on Simon Square

One of the first timber apartment buildings in Scotland has been built on Simon Square in Edinburgh. The architects hope to set a precedent and inspire more use of wood. More about the redensification at Simon Square here.

Fraser/Livingstone is a new architecture studio based in Edinburgh. Since its inception in 2019, the practice has been dedicated to individual buildings in Scotland and beyond. The focus is always on the people who live in the building. The “Simon Square” project in Edinburgh, a redensification in the form of a traditional Scottish tenement building, is an example of the architects’ work.

The Simon Square project is characterized by the materials used and the aspiration to create a new architectural language for the city. Completed in 2022, the 425 square meter building with its contemporary design is primarily made of wood. This construction material reduces the building’s carbon footprint and also offers a healthy, permeable indoor climate. Light, views and openness were important design principles for the design.

This is the first project by a commercial developer in Scotland to use cross laminated timber. The building material was processed using a new technology to provide both added aesthetic value on the outside and the best acoustics on the inside. The very high acoustic standards that are customary in Scotland were even exceeded at Simon Square. The building is located on a small plot in a historic square in Edinburgh’s Southside district. It replaces a low building yard and is surrounded by 19th century stone tenements, institutional buildings and newer residential buildings.

In order to obtain planning permission for the building on Simon Square in Edinburgh, the architects had to find a suitable shape. The new building was not allowed to be much higher than the existing buildings, but at the same time had to offer a beautiful view and maximize the amount of light. This resulted in beveled edges and sawtooth-shaped rooms that are centered and flexible. There are two apartments per floor. The house has six apartments in total, with a duplex apartment with a split roof terrace on the top floor. The house ends directly at the open gable of the neighboring house. This allowed the architects to make maximum use of the available space.

There used to be a four-metre-high boundary wall between the properties, which provided a lot of shade. The architects at Fraser/Livingstone have now lowered this to 2.4 meters to allow light into the narrow rear courtyards. The slanted and jagged shape of the building also prevents the neighbors from seeing too much. Instead of the neighboring windows, the view is directed towards trees and the other buildings along the street. The rooms are bright, large and can be used flexibly. Most of them are also lit from at least two sides.

The new building in Simon Square is the first time that timber has been used in this way in Scotland. The architects hope that they can set a precedent that future building projects will follow. This is because they are convinced of the simple, healthy construction technique using wood. Among other things, after treatment, the material has the ability to meet the high level of noise insulation that is a requirement in Scotland. Working closely with the Scottish Mass Timber Alliance, Fraser/Livingstone Architects are keen to share their knowledge of timber tenement construction. They are keen to value the versatile and environmentally friendly building material and thus make a positive contribution to society.

A special feature of the building is the timber structure, which is encased in a brick shell. This shell has been coated with slaked lime in order to lose its “brick-like” appearance and instead achieve monolithic strength. Between the cross-laminated timber and brick shell is wood fiber insulation with a ventilated cavity, allowing water vapor and moisture to escape.

In an essay on the firm’s website, Malcolm Fraser, co-founder of the practice, expresses his regret that there are few innovations using timber in Scottish tenement construction. This is due to the high sound insulation requirements in Scotland. Thanks to research and development work, the building on Simon Square achieves sound insulation of 62 decibels – 6 decibels above the regulation of 56 decibels.

As a result, the building has already won awards from the Edinburgh Architects’ Association in the Residential, Timber and Building of the Year 2022 categories. It was also a finalist in the Structural Timber Awards 2022.

Also made of wood, but completely different: the wooden house on the lake by Appels Architekten.