The project forms part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s wider Strategic Investment Plan for high-rise buildings and will bring both blocks up to modern standards.

The retrofit exercise will overhaul Craigmillar and Peffermill Courts, two 15-storey blocks built in the 1960s and located in the southeast of Edinburgh, making issues of damp and poor insulation a thing of the past.

In addition to making the towers energy efficient, the works will upgrade existing amenities, including a playground, an allotment, and concierge building. The work will create a welcoming central area, complete with seating and planting and a new ground floor extension to house a shared community space for residents.

Other work will include fire safety enhancements, including installation of new fire doors, sprinkler systems in every flat and a dedicated firefighting lift in each block. security will also be strengthened through the installation of a comprehensive CCTV system, covering all stairwells and common lobby landings

The refurbishment is timely: the towers have faced significant challenges in recent years due to their age, original construction methods, materials, and overall condition. A number of services and components had reached the end of their life and were due an upgrade.

Addressing the work necessary to bring the buildings up to the highest possible efficiency standards, Collective Architecture decided on a ‘fabric-first’ approach. Focusing on improving the buildings’ performance and energy efficiency, consideration has been given to optimising the heat loss form factor, upgrades to the buildings’ fabric, along with transforming windows to timber alu-clad triple glazed, mitigating thermal bridges, as well as improving airtightness and adding all new mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) system.

Energy modelling has enabled Collective to set clear targets for space heating demand, airtightness, energy use.

Adding insulation and triple glazing to the towers will help to reduce the estimated average annual energy costs per home from £3,400 to around £830.

Resident engagement played a crucial role in the refurbishment design and is set to continue during the final design phase and throughout construction. This is especially important, as works will be carried out while residents remain in their homes or are temporarily relocated to vacant flats within the same buildings.

Maisie Tudge, architect at Collective Architecture, said: “We are excited to see the proposed fabric upgrades and placemaking works for Craigmillar and Peffermill Court head towards site start this spring. Our approach centres on resident wellbeing - both immediate and long-term. Through careful phasing and detailing, we’ve ensured families can stay in their own home throughout most of the works.

“Architecturally, we’ve chosen enhancement over erasure. The blocks’ strong modernist identity remains, but we’ve reinterpreted original features - restoring window proportions, reinstating a covered front entrance, and introduced coloured panels inspired by the original 1960s drawings. The result of the fabric first retrofit approach means these iconic 1960’s flats are transformed into warm and safe places to live.”

Councillor Tim Pogson, housing, homelessness and fair work convener at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Everyone has the right to a safe, warm and comfortable place to live and this project will transform more than 100 flats at Craigmillar and Peffermill Courts into energy efficient homes. By working with Collective Architecture we’ll be able to bring these buildings up to a modern standard for all of the families and individuals living there.

“In 2023, we became the first city in Scotland to declare a housing emergency and it’s through innovative projects like this, alongside major housebuilding initiatives, that we’ll be able to tackle the city’s housing shortage. Work on Craigmillar and Peffermill Courts marks the start of an ambitious programme of retrofit and upgrade of the council’s high rise estate and that this will set the standard for all future blocks over the next decade.”

Kier Construction has been appointed to deliver the works. Work is expected to start in the coming weeks, with the programme running for 24 months.

The project team consists of:

• Client: City of Edinburgh Council
• Main Contractor: Kier Construction
• Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor & Principal Designer: AtkinsRealis
• Structural and Civil Engineer: Will Rudd
• Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: RSP
• Landscape Architect: Wardell Armstrong
• Fire Engineer: Atelier Ten
• Energy Consultant: Collective Energy

The refurbishment of Craigmillar and Peffermill Courts echoes similar energy efficiency work carried out on two other housing schemes in Edinburgh, Cables Wynd House and Linksview House. Both these retrofit schemes were also designed by Collective Architecture.