New Town Mews
The reworking of a Category A listed mews house in Edinburgh’s New Town.
The building forms part of the working back of a Second New Town block, where the modest character of the mews contrasts with the more formal architecture of the principal townhouse. The project builds on this distinction, developing a quieter architectural language in which character comes through material, craft, light and texture rather than applied decoration.
The compact historic mews, already adapted for residential use, is reworked to create a more generous and carefully ordered home. A key move is the reorganisation of the first floor as the principal living level, with kitchen, dining and sitting spaces arranged within a single inhabited roof volume. The stair is relocated to improve connection through the house, while rooflights and exposed timber structure bring light, warmth and scale to the interior.
The material approach brings together exposed timber, natural plasters, timber floors and joinery, natural stone surfaces and textured acoustic linings, creating a calm and tactile interior. Alongside the spatial work, the project includes a fabric-first upgrade to improve insulation, comfort and long-term performance, with low-energy servicing developed around a ground source heat pump.