A warm thank you to all our guests who stepped out on a dark February evening to join us for Purcell’s annual Edinburgh Studio celebration, bringing together clients, colleagues, and friends to reflect on another successful year in Scotland.
Our Edinburgh Studio is an important part of the Purcell family, delivering thoughtful, sustainable, and innovative design solutions across Scotland and the North of England.
An integral part of our North UK region, our team’s influence spreads across the wider practice sharing knowledge, experience and passion for working in the heritage environment.
The Edinburgh team includes accreditations in conservation, sustainable architecture and Passivhaus, ensuring that design outputs balance sustainability and long-term environmental impact with creative adaptation and careful conservation, breathing new life into historic buildings.
5 Charlotte Square
The Category A-listed 5 Charlotte Square is a flagship project for our Edinburgh team. A significant conservation project within Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, sensitive refurbishment of this Georgian building blends heritage-led design with modern functionality and accessibility for The National Trust for Scotland.
Planning and Listed Building Consent have been granted, including a new north entrance providing step free access to the building for the first time. The project is currently on site, due to be completed in 2026, enabling The National Trust for Scotland to return operations to their historic hub in the heart of Edinburgh.
Hospitalfield House
Another highlight for the team has been their involvement at Hospitalfield House, a Category A-listed historic house and the eclectic vision of the artist Patrick Allan Fraser. The site was initially a 12th century hospital built by the monks who ran Arbroath Abbey. Today, Hospitalfield offers opportunities for artists through their residency programme under the guardianship of the Partick Allen Fraser Trust.
This is Hospitalfield’s core mission, delivered alongside the care of an impressive collection, expansive gardens and public cafe. The Edinburgh team are implementing a conservation repair and re-servicing project for the house, which has been granted Planning and Listed Building Consent. The scheme was awarded National Lottery Heritage Funding in 2025, and the team are looking forward to developing the next steps of this exciting project.
The Farne Islands
Beyond the border, the team have enjoyed working with the National Trust on several ecologically significant sites, including the Farne Islands and a completed refurbishment of an ex-MoD site (now ranger accommodation) near Low Newton-by-the-Sea. Involvement at the Farne Islands has included a full condition survey of the built heritage on the sites, progressing into an options appraisal looking at potential improvements including energy efficiency and use of renewable energy on the islands.
– Lorna Crane, Edinburgh Studio Lead, Purcell
