Knight Property Group, of Aberdeen, has announced the completion of a £20 million redevelopment and refurbishment project in Edinburgh.
The 43,000 sq ft pavilion-style building at 4-5 Lochside Avenue, Edinburgh Park, achieved practical completion last week.
Knight said it had set a new standard for sustainable office redevelopment in the area.
Achieving completion and delivering it during the pandemic is a significant milestone, and we are very proud of the sustainable standards it has achieved.”
James Barrack, Knight Property Group.
The redeveloped building offers open-plan Grade A office accommodation, ranging from 14,000 to 43,000sq ft, over three floors.
Knight said it remodeled, redeveloped and refurbished the building, rather than demolish it, to support a “retro-first” approach to provide fossil fuel-free, zero direct emissions office accommodation, aligned to net-zero targets and Scottish Government new-build heat standards.
The project has also achieved UK Green Building Council 2025-2030 interim targets for operational energy use.
Green credentials
According to Knight, it is currently the only all-electric new development in Edinburgh and features “a host of sustainability and well-being enhancements”.
These include an EPC (energy performance certificate) “B+” rating, all electric air-conditioning delivered via air source pump technology, 100% ventilated fresh air delivered to the working environment, solar photovoltaic panels on the roof, electric vehicle charging points and smart LED lighting on all floors.
Knight added the site boasted “best practice in terms of ‘wellness’, offering a safe and secure, Covid-friendly, green and sustainable environment that also features 60 bike spaces with maintenance facilities”.
Knight ‘totally committed’ to net-zero
James Barrack, founder and chairman of the firm, said: “Our original vision was to redevelop the building to an extremely high standard – offering occupiers a contemporary and modern working environment, but crucially all set within a highly sustainable and net carbon neutral office.
“We are totally committed to take action on climate change and sustainability.
“This is embedded in the core culture of our business and at the heart of all our developments.”
Mr Barrack added: “4-5 Lochside Avenue is one of the strongest buildings in Edinburgh Park.
“Achieving completion and delivering it during the pandemic is a significant milestone, and we are very proud of the sustainable standards it has achieved.”
Edinburgh Park is home to 7,000 employees with surrounding occupiers including JP Morgan, Regus, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Sustainability and wellness ‘pre-requisite requirements’ for occupiers
JLL and CBRE are joint letting agents for 4-5 Lochside Avenue, which Knight purchased in January 2020 from LaSalle Investment Management and sits on a three-acre site.
Cameron Stott, director, JLL, said: “Sustainability and wellness are quite rightly now pre-requisite requirements for occupiers.
“Knight really grasped and embraced this agenda throughout the development.”
CBRE director Angela Lowe added: “We anticipate that 4-5 Lochside Avenue will be an attractive prospect for many occupiers due to the high specification, strong environmental credentials and excellent connectivity.”
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