Commercial real estate investor, developer and asset manager, Firethorn Trust, has passed a major milestone at its purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Leith Walk, Edinburgh, with completion of the building’s substructure.

Ogilvie Construction has been appointed to deliver the six-storey block, which will create high quality accommodation for 230 students when it completes next year.

Ogilvie Construction has completed work on Edinburgh’s first voco™ boutique hotel for Axcel Group.

The 150 bedroom hotel is located in Torphichen Street in the city’s West end incorporates a restaurant, bar and leisure facilities in the brand’s characteristically unstuffy quality surroundings.

The new hotel has been built to eight storeys with a façade of mostly natural stone. It is the Axcel Group’s second hotel in the city, complementing the company’s 110 bed Mercure Hotel in Haymarket.

Donald MacDonald, Managing Director, Ogilvie Construction, said:
“We are extremely proud of the new hotel and worked closely with the team at Axcel Group throughout the build to ensure that every aspect of the project has been delivered to meet the exacting standards for voco™. It will provide a refreshing new hotel experience for visitors in the heart of the city.”

voco™ is an international upscale hotel brand owned by the InterContinental Hotels Group. Since launching in 2018, voco™ has opened hotels in the UK, Australia, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The name voco is based on the Latin word meaning ‘to invite’ or to ‘come together’.

Ogilvie Construction is part of the Ogilvie Group is one of Scotland’s most consistently successful family owned businesses. The company is over 65 years old and employs more than 600 people across its various business operations in the UK.

Ogilvie Construction has broken ground on an £18 Million project to build a 4 star boutique hotel in Edinburgh’s West End at Torphichen Street.

The 150 bedroom hotel is being built for Axcel Hospitality and will incorporate a restaurant, bar and leisure facilities. The project is due for completion in early 2020.

The structural frame for the building has been developed as a Precast Concrete and Structural Steelwork hybrid founded on a drilled piling solution. The new hotel will be built to eight storeys with a façade of mostly natural stone.

Donald MacDonald, Managing Director, Ogilvie Construction, said: 

“We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and look forward to delivering a high quality building. Our team has an extensive and successful track record in the hotel and leisure sector and will work closely with the client throughout the project to ensure that the hotel meets every need of future guests.”

Ogilvie Construction is part of the Ogilvie Group is one of Scotland’s most consistently successful family owned businesses.  The company is over 60 years old and employs more than 500 people across its various business operations in the UK. 

Ogilvie Construction was appointed as main contractor for Crosslane Student Developments, in partnership with the Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund (USAF), to construct a new purpose built 235-bed student development.

As specialists in student residential, Ogilvie were tasked with developing the site of The Old Printworks into modern student accommodation comprising of 44 studios and 191 bedrooms in cluster flats, as well as facilities including a gym, common room, study room, laundry, cycle storage, bin storage and some disabled parking.

This tight city centre site was in the centre of Edinburgh surrounded on 3 sides by residential properties, just a short walk from the Royal Mile and the student hub. This logistically challenging project is six -storey high and will accommodate some of the city’s 50,000 full time students. 

The main building is a reinforced concrete frame with 2 staircases and 2 lift cores.  The foundations were mass filled concrete with waterproof tanking. The frame is infilled with lightweight metsec cladding and cement board with insulation and then a range of external cladding including stonework, brickwork, timber rainscreen, metal rainscreen, curtain walling and windows.

The 2 smaller studio blocks to the rear of the development have similar foundation but the frame constructed in pre-fabricated lightweight metsec panels and composite in-situ concrete decks. These buildings are also clad in insulation, brickwork and timber rainscreen. 

Challenges/Added value

All roofs are covered with a single ply membrane and the lower levels all have a Sedum roofing covering to give a softer impact to the surrounding neighbours and the environment.

Pre-fabricated bathroom pods for each bedroom were delivered and installed floor by floor as the build progressed.

The main interior is formed using drylining, ames taped and decorated with wash down paint.

Pre-fabricated furniture was also installed to each bedroom and kitchen for the students.

Gas fired central heating with a CHP engine and centralised boilers heat the whole development.

Each flat and studio has its own mechanical and electrical controls.

Solid timber doors with a combination of vinyl and carpet flooring give a clean homely environment. 

A courtyard area to the rear of the building has been formed in both soft and hard landscaping giving the students a further pleasant outdoor amenity space.

Construction Director Bob Gray is running three marathons in just five weeks to raise funds for The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow. Starting with the London Marathon on the 23rd April, Bob will also run the Stirling and Edinburgh Marathons in the following weeks. 

Bob’s sister sadly passed away in November 2013 from cancer and charities like TPPWH give fantastic support to the patients, as well as their family and friends. The hospice looks after 1,200 patients every year and relies on more than £3million in donations to maintain this level of care.

To support Bob’s efforts, you can donate via his Just Giving page here. Any donation, large or small, will be greatly received and help the hospice to continue its fantastic work. 

Bob’s marathons:

London – 23rd April
Stirling – 21st May
Edinburgh – 28th May

Successful topping out event for new 237-bed purpose-built student accommodation development, The Old Printworks, Edinburgh, on track and on budget for opening in August 2017.

Crosslane Student Developments, part of the Crosslane Group, celebrated the topping out event of The Old Printworks development at 20 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh, on 29 March 2017. The ceremony was conducted by Jon Stuart, Director of Crosslane Student Developments and Grier Edmead, Contracts Manager, Ogilvie Construction. The total development value of the property is approximately £31 million.

Work on site commenced in January 2016 to develop a new, purpose-built, high specification, city centre scheme, comprising 44 studios and 193 cluster flat bedrooms ranging from three to nine bed clusters. In addition, there will be high quality communal facilities including a common room, meeting space, laundry facilities, gym and bike storage.

The high specification scheme, due for completion in August 2017 in time for the 2017/2018 academic year, is in an ideal location amidst the popular student hub of Edinburgh, being just a short walk to the University of Edinburgh campus and close to the historic Royal Mile, in the heart of the city centre.

Crosslane Student Developments is working in partnership with Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund (USAF) to deliver a 237 bed purpose-built student accommodation development, which is under construction at Lutton Place, Edinburgh.

The freehold of the site was acquired from the City of Edinburgh Council by Crosslane Student Developments, part of the Crosslane Group, in December for £6.2 million.

Ogilvie Construction Limited is the main contractor having been engaged by Crosslane Student Developments in December 2015 to develop the site into a new, purpose-built, high specification, city centre scheme, comprising 44 studios and 193 cluster flat bedrooms ranging from three to nine beds. In addition, there will be high quality communal facilities including a common room, meeting space, gym and bike storage.

Ogilvie Construction has completed two new student accommodation buildings in Edinburgh for Ziggurat Student Living.

The buildings are within a few hundred metres from each other, at Murano Place and Shrubhill on Leith Walk and total 532 beds. The Shrubhill site will also house over 18,000 sq ft of retail space, with Sainsbury’s confirmed to create a convenience store on the ground floor. 

The new accommodation was recently opened by famous boxers Barry McGuigan MBE and Edinburgh born Josh Taylor.

Ziggurat Student Living Director Jim Pike said:

“This latest development is totally modern and purpose-built and our emphasis is always on extremely high levels of customer service.  With only a few bed rooms still available to let for this academic year, we are confident that our student tenants will have a fantastic living experience in Edinburgh.”

Donald MacDonald, Managing Director, Ogilvie Construction said:

“We worked closely with the team at Ziggurat Student Living to ensure that the buildings were delivered to the highest construction standards, meeting all the needs of the students who will live there.”

Ogilvie Construction recently handed over an eight-storey student accommodation building called Arran House, in the Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh.

The £11 million project was awarded to Ogilvie for The Student Housing Company, and provides 302 high quality student apartments of varying sizes, along with retail space on the ground floor. 

The Student Housing Company manages purpose built student accommodation across the UK and Europe, and  prides itself on delivering high quality accommodation, excellent levels of service, security and attention to detail.

Donald MacDonald, Managing Director, Ogilvie Construction, said:

“We are proud to have delivered a high quality facility that will benefit students in Edinburgh. The building has been constructed to the highest standards, providing first class living conditions close to the University and all key amenities.”

Ogilvie Construction, part of the Ogilvie Group, is one of Scotland’s most consistently successful family owned businesses. The company is over 60 years old and employs over 400 people across its various business operations.