Overview of the Edinburgh College of Art Capital Project. Image Project Manager: AtkinsRéalisArchitect: Hawkins BrownCost Consultants: Thomson BethuneM&E Engineers: AtkinsRéalisCivil and Structural Engineers: Will Rudd DavidsonPrincipal Designer: AtkinsRéalisLandscape Architect: Harrison StevensContractor: Robertson ConstructionThis project will maximise the use, capacity, and quality of existing space at Edinburgh College of Art’s Lauriston campus. This is a series of interventions in the Main Building, North East Studio Building (NESB), Evolution House, Hunter Building and Fire Station, without erecting any new structures. The project will transform the campus from within, opening up and unlocking difficult spaces and increasing usability of what can now seem like a rather confusing and unwelcoming set of buildings. It will improve and open building joining points, co-locate cross-disciplinary facilities, raise the visibility of the campus threshold and encourage greater use of the courtyard.The key strategic objectives of the project include;Help define a more outward-facing ECA with a new reception and out-reach space in the Engine Room of the Fire Station and new landscaping to the Lauriston Place frontage. This will help define a more positive threshold and entrance sequence to the campus and address how ECA engages with Lauriston Place and the city.Fully refurbish the Fire Station to create a flexible and adaptable staff hub that addresses the needs of the post-covid hybrid working environment whilst accommodating student-facing facilities on the lower levels.Relocate maker and digital fabrication facilities to the Main Building and the Stables to create centralised resources for all disciplines. Open up the ‘knuckle points’ between buildings to improve legibility, circulation and wayfinding. Removing some partitions in these key areas to create new student collaboration and social spaces.Allow for the creation of a range of new open-plan, flexible studio spaces across the campus that can be assigned to different cohorts.Establish stronger connection between media departments and integrate the Reid School of Music with existing image/sound facilities to encourage collaboration between departments.Transform the landscape in the courtyard to create a cohesive and accessible campus. As well as encourage outdoor learning and events.Take positive steps to improve accessibility across the campus.The ECA project will be split into two phases, resulting in a significant campus transformation over the next two years.Phase 1 will fully refurbish the Fire Station and Stables buildings and involve consolidating staff office space into the Fire Station. The Fire Station ‘engine room’ will become the new main entrance and reception to ECA, and the quad will be accessed from a new route between the Fire Station and Hunter Building. Measures will be taken to improve the energy performance of the buildings. The Fire Station works include draft sealing windows, insulating the roof spaces and adding wall insulation where possible. It will be serviced by ‘zero gas’ solutions, including air source heat pumps and low-energy lighting.Phase 2 will involve the creation of new studio spaces in the vacated office spaces and reconsolidated plans. New maker spaces will be rationalised and co-located in the hubs around the campus. Specialist media facilities will also be created to accommodate the Reid School of Music, who will vacate Alison House, move to ECA, and encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration across academic programmes. The central quad will be re-landscaped, removing the cars, making it easier to move between buildings and creating clearer wayfinding.The car park in front of the Hunter Building will also be replaced with a new landscaped space to create a welcoming environment for all users and encourage activity in the space. This article was published on 2024-08-05