New Waverley, New Street in Edinburgh, Scotland

The New Waverley regeneration project in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town is thought to be one of the most visionary re-developments ever to be undertaken in the city.  New Waverley is a complex city centre site in a historic part of Edinburgh that is designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. The sloping topography and immediacy of the adjacent buildings means that it can be difficult for new developments to achieve optimal daylight conditions and meet Building Research Establishment standards.  

We were instructed by our client Vita Group to undertake a daylight and sunlight assessment for this proposed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development and provide a report in support of the planning application.

The New Waverley site had an existing planning consent for residential development that we assisted on back in 2006, providing the daylight and sunlight assessment then. We have also been involved in providing daylight and sunlight advice for numerous major developments in Edinburgh and that includes all the sites that make up the New Waverley development.  

For this phase of the project, we were delighted to assist the new owner of the site, Vita Group, in taking forward their new proposal with architect CDA, with whom we have a long and collaborative working relationship.

We reviewed the project in detail with the design team to provide advice on room layout and window design to ensure the best results possible. In addition, we carefully considered the assessment methodology and provided a detailed and nuanced report to provide relevant information to enable the planning officer to make an informed and appropriate decision when reviewing the planning application.

Having first been involved with the wider site eighteen years ago, it was immensely satisfying to assist with this final stage of the development, completed in 2024.