Futures Institute, Edinburgh

Consarc served as Specialist Conservation Architects to Bennetts Associates on the £100 million restoration and adaptation of the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, a Category A listed building, into the Edinburgh Futures Institute. Built in 1879 and once hailed as “the best planned hospital” in Britain, the Infirmary closed in 2003. The 20,000 sqm redevelopment now houses one of Europe’s largest centres for interdisciplinary learning and research, combining historic architecture with modern design. The project retained the famous Nightingale Wards, repurposing them as flexible teaching and workspaces, while adding new public areas including a square, café and performance spaces.

Consarc conducted detailed condition surveys and developed restoration plans for stonework, roofs, leadwork, railings, chimneys, windows and rainwater goods. The work also addressed serious dry rot and reversed unsympathetic alterations. Specifications were prepared following international conservation principles, alongside strategies for thermal upgrading, accessibility and climate resilience. Working closely with the client and statutory bodies, Consarc secured grant funding from Edinburgh World Heritage to reinstate lost features such as distinctive ventilation towers. Their nine-year involvement covered surveys, enabling works and site oversight to ensure the successful completion of complex repairs.