We are pleased to announce that Senior Architect Neil Forrester is promoted to the role of Associate within the Practice. Neil joined Smith Scott Mullan Associates 15 years ago and has developed his career alongside the growth of the Practice, fronting many of our residential projects including the award-winning Fortune Place. Neil has a wealth of experience and knowledge in leading projects and is also our BIM Manager.  We congratulate Neil on his new position and look forward to his input into the management of the Practice.

We are delighted that Ben Rainger, a Senior Architect within our Practice has been elected the new President of the Edinburgh Architects Association for the coming year. Ben is looking forward to continuing the work of the EAA and working with the existing and new EAA council members in promoting all aspects of architecture in the chapter area and beyond through stimulating thought and discussion, with a particular emphasis on sustainability and diversity. We are positive Ben will be an amazing asset to the Association. Good Luck Ben!

Planning applications have been submitted for Edinburgh Biomes, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s ambitious project to protect its unique and globally important plant collection. The £50m project involves seven new buildings and three refurbishments across two sites.

Designed by us and Nicoll Russell Studios, the project focuses on both the public and research glasshouses at the Garden. On the public side, we will conserve and refurbish the magnificent Victorian Palm Houses and the unique 1967 glasshouses with their steel lattice exo-skeleton. This succession of A-Listed nineteenth and twentieth century glasshouses will be complemented by a new, twenty-first century public glasshouse by NRS. A revised visitor route through the glasshouses will enhance the display of the plant collection to promote public understanding of plant biodiversity, conservation and research.

We have redesigned the support areas to provide a substantial new glasshouse to safeguard the research collections, an Education Centre and a Horticultural Building. We will add two further buildings on the Garden’s nearby Nursery site. The Plant Health Suite will provide a new national asset in the field of plant health and bio-security. It will receive and monitor new plant specimens collected from across the world and will contain world-class plant pathology and micro-propagation laboratories. The Sustainable Energy Centre will serve both sites and, in conjunction with the improved efficiency of the new buildings, will substantially reduce the Garden’s carbon footprint by producing both heat and electricity through a combination of ground-source heat pumps, combined heat and power engines and gas boilers.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is an internationally renowned centre of excellence in plant biodiversity research and conservation, an education provider and a major tourist attraction. As we progress into the next stage, we are proud to have helped the Garden reach this major milestone in delivering potentially the most significant project in its history.

We have been working on the design and delivery of three new galleries that will complete the transformation of the National Museum of Scotland. These galleries, dedicated to ‘Ancient Egypt Rediscovered’, ‘Exploring East Asia’ and the ‘Art of Ceramics’, are the final part a 15-year journey, restoring one of the UK’s finest Victorian buildings, revealing remarkable treasures, and creating inspiring learning experiences to engage more visitors. The object installation is now complete with the new galleries due to open to the public on 8 February 2019.

Smith Scott Mullan Associates has been working with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh since 2008 to help it develop its vision for Edinburgh Biomes, an ambitious project to protect its unique and globally important plant collection. We have already completed a new research glasshouse and other enabling works, and we are excited as the project enters the next phase.

Once completed, Edinburgh Biomes will secure the RBGE’s work for future generations and provide a spectacular new visitor experience for the public. RBGE has taken this unique opportunity to explore visionary proposals that will not only cover conservation and repairs but deliver world-leading facilities that will protect the work of this national institution for the future.

The Victorian Palm Houses and the unique 1960s glasshouses with their external structural frame are all Category A Listed and will be fully refurbished, not only securing the future of the buildings but also ensuring that they continue to provide a safe environment for the RBGE’s plant collection. Comprising over 13,500 plant species, the collection includes many plants that are endangered or extinct in their native habitats.

The project includes a new state-of-the-art plant health suite and a new, efficient, eco-friendly sustainable energy centre in the Nursery to the north of the main Garden. The new plant health suite will provide a safe propagation environment. The new energy centre will introduce ground source heat pumps which, coupled with new low heat loss pipework, will reduce the carbon footprint of the glasshouses by 12 per cent.

Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “Edinburgh Biomes is potentially the most significant project in the Garden’s history. We are one of the top four botanic gardens in the world and these proposals will enable us to continue our pioneering work for Scotland and the world. At a time when 20% of the world’s plant species are at risk from extinction our work is more important than ever.

“Our heritage glasshouses need extensive restoration to save them for the nation. Our research glasshouses, critical to the work we do in Scotland and around the world, are well beyond their lifespan and are already suffering during extreme weather. They will only survive a few more years without essential upgrades. As the seasons pass, the risks are increasing, so prompt action is necessary.

“As part of this project and as guardians of one of the world’s most significant scientific and horticultural resources, we will redevelop our facilities to sustain RBGE as a leader in plant science, horticulture, biodiversity, education and conservation and ensure our collection thrives for generations to come.

“Edinburgh Biomes has the vision and potential to attract, excite and engage people of all nationalities and walks of life. We appreciate its ambition and sincerely hope that the people of Edinburgh and Scotland will support and share our proposals to maintain our vital work.”

RBGE received initial funding from the Scottish Government to take the project to Planning Permission stage and continues to work with Ministers on the next stage which will also include a major fund-raising appeal. If approved, Edinburgh Biomes would be delivered across a staged build to allow for the decanting and relocation of seasonally sensitive plants over several years.