Redpath Construction | Canongate Block 2, Royal Mile

Redpath was commissioned to deliver conservation and energy efficiency works to this post war category B listed building.

Canongate is an ambitious project for Edinburgh World Heritage, and is one of several pilot projects under Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme (SEEP) to tackle energy efficiency and fuel poverty.

Redpath was commissioned to deliver sensitive and appropriate conservation and energy efficiency works to this post war category B listed building. Designed by Basil Spence & Partners in 1969, this building is in the Edinburgh Old Town Conversation Area and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Canongate Block 2 is a complex configuration with 12 ownership properties. There are two commercial units on the ground floor that continued to operate uninterrupted throughout the works.

Whilst supporting Edinburgh’s goal to become a net zero emissions city by 2030 and contributing to the Scottish Government’s ambitious plans to meet climate change targets by 2045, this project has also improved specific issues with the property due to its age and nature of construction, notably poor ventilation and indoor air quality.

The outcome of this project has been:

Improved health and wellbeing of residents.
Conserving a listed building within the World Heritage Site.
Improved indoor air quality and comfort conditions within the building.
Risks of surface condensation / mould growth / dampness aﬀecting the integrity of the building fabric have been mitigated.
Owners / tenants energy bills have been reduced.
Improvement in wall u-value from 1.45W/m2K (average), to 0.33W/m2K.
The operational carbon emissions of the building reduced by 46%
Average reduction in primary energy needs for residential properties of 58%
Properties now comply with Scottish Government 2032 energy-use targets for privately and social rented properties.

We have delivered:

Window and door replacement. We reinstated the original window scheme, including balcony windows, to Sir Basil Spence’s original specifications - enhancing the architectural integrity of the building.
Cavity fill insulation
Mechanical and electrical renewal
MVHR installation and associated internal redecoration.
Render repairs and painting. The paint colour was matched to existing as determined by the Scottish Lime Centre analysis. Keim Masonry Paint was used to reinstate the original colour scheme determined by archive images and Edinburgh University research.
Felt roof encapsulation.
Concrete repair and cleaning.