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Scotsman
28-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh's Springside takes shape as landscape-led neighbourhood completes
A leading landscape architect practice has been instrumental in transforming a former Edinburgh brewery site into ground-breaking new development that puts people and the environment at its very centre. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Built on the old Scottish & Newcastle brewery site, Moda, The McEwan, is a flagship build-to-rent development by Moda Living in Edinburgh's Fountainbridge. The final phase of Moda, The McEwan has now been completed, with landscape architecture practice OOBE playing a central role in shaping the public realm and placemaking vision for the site. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The £215m development, delivered in phases across several years, transforms a former brewery site into a vibrant 20-minute neighbourhood – offering over 476 high-quality rental homes alongside food and beverage, retail units, workspaces, landscaped courtyards and public squares. The final phase completes this vision with 139 new homes and a connected landscape that links seamlessly with the wider site and surrounding community. Both phases of the development were funded by a JV between Moda and Apache Capital alongside its funding partners Harrison Street and NFU Mutual. Springside OOBE has been involved throughout the life of the project, leading on the public realm design for both phases. The team was tasked with delivering a landscape strategy that brings people together, weaves nature into the city centre, and supports Moda's ambition to set new standards for rental living in Scotland. Emma McNicholas, Director at OOBE said: 'Our design approach focused on creating layered, multi-functional outdoor spaces that invite people in – not just residents, but the wider community too. From the start, the landscape has been fundamental to how this development works – socially, environmentally and economically.' OOBE's design at Moda, The McEwan places people at the heart of the landscape, creating outdoor spaces that feel connected, considered and purposeful. The layout brings a balance of shared and more private areas: from the central public square that now hosts community events, to roof terraces and gardens that offer quieter places for residents to spend time outdoors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The finer details have been designed to support the overall sense of place. Seating is integrated into the landscape to encourage everyday use, while site-wide graphics and wayfinding elements help create a coherent, easy-to-navigate and human-scale environment. Planting is used not only to enhance the look and feel of each space, but also to support biodiversity and manage water sustainably. OOBE has incorporated a series of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) – using natural planting, rain gardens and permeable surfaces to slow rainwater, reduce runoff and support local ecology. Movement through the site has also been carefully considered, with walking and cycling routes linking Springside to the Union Canal and surrounding areas. The materials, OOBE-designed artwork and design language draw on the site's industrial heritage, but the spaces are very much designed for modern city living – practical, adaptable and rooted in the everyday lives of the people who use them. The completion of Moda, The McEwan also supports the City of Edinburgh Council's wider ambitions for 20-minute neighbourhoods – places where people can live, work and access services within easy walking distance. The landscape plays a pivotal role in realising this vision, helping to reduce reliance on cars, promote wellbeing, and foster community interaction. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The McEwan recently opened its doors with a free community open house event in partnership with local businesses, showcasing the landscaped spaces and on-site amenities to residents and visitors.
Edinburgh Reporter
28-06-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
OOBE seeking growth in business with new move
The landscape architecture firm OOBE has appointed property communications experts, Building Relations PR, to improve its brand profile across the UK. With studios in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle, OOBE is at the forefront of landscape architecture, having spent the past 15 years shaping landscapes that connect people with outdoor spaces. The practice is widely recognised for its sustainability-led approach to landscape architecture, urban design, master planning and building information modelling (BIM) services. The firm has delivered some of the most significant and high-profile public realm and development schemes in the country. OOBE's portfolio includes work on transformative regeneration schemes such as The Spark, The Lumen and Biosphere at Newcastle Helix, a dynamic urban campus landscape that integrates rain gardens and biodiverse planting with a steeply sloped topography. In the Midlands, the team is helping to shape the vision for New Garden Square in Edgbaston – a striking build-to-rent community developed with Moda Living and Calthorpe Estates. Elsewhere, the Barbara Hepworth Building at the University of Huddersfield exemplifies OOBE's approach to integrating academic architecture and landscape into a single design language, while projects like Littlehaven Promenade in South Shields underline its capacity to deliver elegant, resilient coastal infrastructure. In Scotland, OOBE is currently delivering the landscape vision for Blindwells, a major new community in East Lothian. Commissioned by Hargreaves Land, the project spans everything from town centre design and routes to school, to woodland corridors, play areas and a dedicated art strategy. At its heart is a commitment to biodiversity, wellbeing and creating a place where people feel genuinely connected to their surroundings. The team is also leading the green infrastructure at Holland Park in Glasgow, where a bold build-to-rent development is being brought to life with thoughtfully designed public realm and sustainable planting. Just along the Clyde at Pacific Quay, OOBE has helped shape a distinctive riverside space that blends amenity, ecology and local character. Most recently, the practice completed the landscape design for the new Woodmill and St Columba's RC High School campus in Dunfermline – the world's largest Passivhaus school project – integrating rain gardens, attenuation basins and outdoor teaching spaces. With a growing portfolio and established presence in Edinburgh, OOBE continues to help shape some of the most exciting new places across Scotland. The appointment of Building Relations PR marks a strategic move for OOBE as it looks to further strengthen its position in the property and construction sectors, showcasing its award-winning design ethos, collaborative approach and unique approach to placemaking. Speaking about the new partnership, Emma McNicholas, Director at OOBE, said: 'As we approach our 15th year in business and reflect on the outstanding projects we've delivered, we feel it's time to take the business to the next level. We're excited to be working with Building Relations to raise our profile, make new connections and share the impact of our work more broadly. We have a strong reputation amongst our current partners and a high rate of repeat business, which we are exceptionally proud of. 'Building Relation's specialist knowledge of the property sector combined with its sustainability expertise, makes them the ideal partner to help us help us tell our story and communicate the value of our design-led approach. ' Rachel Colgan, Founding Director at Building Relations, commented: 'OOBE has delivered an impressive portfolio of landscape projects that help shape the way people interact with outdoor spaces and there are so many brilliant stories for us to help them share. Our teams in Edinburgh and London are looking forward to supporting OOBE as they look to grow their successful business across the UK.' Like this: Like Related
