Ocean Terminal Master Plan
“The plans are a hugely exciting step forward and have the potential to turn Ocean Terminal into a £250m GDV asset for the city. With the go-ahead for the re-modelling of the existing centre, tailoring its footprint to respond to current retail trends, the introduction of a new neighbourhood of quality homes needed to secure Ocean Terminal’s success as a key local ‘town centre’ and asset for the community. These proposals, in conjunction with the existing centre works, will support the retention of over 600 jobs and create new roles within the centre and expanding local area, while offering a series of engaging amenity, health and leisure options for people from all over the Capital and further afield.”
Chris Richardson, Director of Ambassador Investments
The Brief
This is a masterplan to transform Ocean Terminal in Leith by the City of Edinburgh Council, which has been approved. The first phase will revitalise the 20-year-old shopping centre, opening up the Leith waterfront area, and creating a community-led complex. This masterplan is part of plans to demolish the existing centre and create a new frontage to bring new retail and hospitality units as well as a mixed-use development with a range of housing, commercial units, and public realm to recreate Ocean Terminal in Leith. xburo is appointed as Mechanical Electrical Public Health (MEPH) Engineers on this transformational project.
Our Expertise
We are working with the design team to develop the Mechanical and Electrical solutions for this new mixed-use development. In addition, xburo has undertook thermal modelling of the centre and high-rise buildings to assist the energy strategy and sustainable aspirations of the project. A dedicated team has been allocated to deliver this sizeable project which will recreate the waterfront area. Technical challenges within this project include the removal of a sizeable portion of the centre and the impact this has upon services and infrastructure.
The Challenges
xburo has provided space planning for the high-rise residential units – raising issues around height in relation to fire regulations and the consequences on MEPH and providing fire engineering solutions. Our advice here limits the number of MEPH requirements and impacts on construction, build and overall costs.
Other issues include the co-ordination of sustainable solutions for some 560 apartments, coupled with those required for commercial units, as well as the challenge of arranging new utility requirements and the integration of this, in collaboration, with utility providers and network operators.
Experience
xburo has a long history – dating back to before the concept of this project – where we prepared planned maintenance schedules. This has been invaluable to providing clear solutions to the centre ahead of planning and where we have been able to provide stage 2 information packs with a greater degree of detail due to our knowledge.
Benefits to the client
- Extensive experience in delivery of commercial property, retail estate and our multi-disciplinary co-ordination and varying forms of commercial real estate structure found in shopping centres;
- MEPH Chartered Engineers – led by Thomas Brady and supported by the team at xburo;
- Unparalleled MEPH on leases and dilapidations that allow occupiers to move in protecting landlord;
- Energy strategy helped to achieve planning requirements, together with the project team.