John Pelan: At-risk capital buildings could have a bright future

In HIS article last week, architect Malcolm Fraser made a powerful case for politicians and planners to focus on the redevelopment of brownfield sites in Edinburgh. The Scottish Civic Trust endorses this position and points to the many examples of excellent reuse and regeneration of older buildings in and around the city for modern purposes.

Edinburgh, as Mr Fraser points out, is a remarkable and unique city. It is rich in resources, bespoke facilities and infrastructure and potential sites for creative and clever regeneration and redevelopment.

While recognising the council's commitment to growth of the city, the trust would urge it to look closer at the opportunities afforded by the historic building stock.

The Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards scheme recognises the success achieved through community participation and innovative design in creating and, in many cases, recreating new buildings and spaces, often using existing redundant or derelict buildings and spaces.

A commended project in the 2010 awards, The Causey, reimagined a bland traffic island in the Southside of Edinburgh as a vibrant urban space, designed by and for local people. The renovation and transformation of the Infirmary Street baths building into Dovecote Studios and the 18th-century Liberton Bank House into the new home for the Dunedin School for socially vulnerable young people are just some of the examples of how older buildings, previously on the Buildings at Risk Register, can be reinvented for contemporary purposes.

The Buildings at Risk Register, which the trust has run on behalf of Historic Scotland for over 20 years, highlights properties of architectural or historical merit deemed at risk or under threat from neglect or lack of use. The City of Edinburgh Council has an excellent record of maintaining its historic buildings, but there are still over 50 listed properties in the council area on the At Risk Register, and numerous gap sites and redundant spaces, offering exciting possibilities to developers with vision.

• John Pelan is director, of The Scottish Civic Trust.