Commercial property: Open Door tour offers sneak office peek

Capital Square, a prime commercial development and Edinburgh’s largest speculative office build, will host accompanied visits for the public on the morning of Saturday, 23 March.

Bruce Dickson, regional director of BAM, says: “Open Doors is designed to challenge preconceptions about the construction industry.

“As well as allowing our neighbours to see what is happening behind the hoarding, and get a preview of what the finished job will look like using BIM 3D technology, we showcase all of the skills of the people involved in making these projects happen, and the different career opportunities in this amazing industry.”

Capital Square will feature eight floors, spanning 122,500sq ft of  office accommodation in Edinburgh’s Exchange business district.

Designed by architects Hurd Rolland, the building will include concierge-level front-of-house service, 24-hour manned security, shower and locker facilities for cyclists and runners, and an extensive suite of additional tenant services.

Of the Open Doors day opportunity, Dougie Peters, managing director of BAM, says: “What people will see is a working site, but there is a viewing platform to get a really good look at what is going on.

Peters believes the weekend will present a unique chance to see how the structure has been designed. He explains: “By this time next year, the bones of the building will be covered and the whole workings will be encased by the time it is finished.”

Capital Square is scheduled for completion in May 2020, with only 54,000sq ft remaining available.

Law firms Pinsent Masons and Brodies have been confirmed as the first occupiers.

Peters says: “The market in Edinburgh is extremely tight with supply outstripping demand so some forward-thinking organisations are prepared to commit years in advance of their current lease expiring.”

The available space makes up the ground, first, second and half of the third floors, which Peters expects to either go to one or two occupiers and for those deals to be in place long before completion.

He says: “We are very confident that this space will be snapped in such a competitive market.”

Open Doors events are also being held across other BAM sites at Maidenhill Primary and Nursery School in Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire, on Wednesday, 20 March; Jedburgh Intergenerational Campus on Thursday, 21; and Atlantic Square, a Grade-A building in Glasgow’s International Financial Services District, on Friday 22.

The latter state-of-the-art office development, on the city’s Broomielaw, is set to be a UK Government hub, accommodating HM Revenue and Customs, and like Capital Square it is also due for completion next year.