1 New Park Square received a Concrete Society Award as the Outright Winner.

The first landmark project for the wider vision of a low carbon community if working, living and leisure at Edinburgh Park by developer, Parabola, 1 New Park Square is a carefully designed development bringing a new office typology to the Edinburgh market.

Four storeys of a total 87,500 square feet of commercial office space site above a ground floor majoring on public functions knitted into a new civic fabric developed in collaboration with Dixon Jones and Gross Max. A conference room is located to the northern end of the building where the main reception is sited adjacent to the tram stop. At the southern end, a set of linked spaces containing a cafe and bakery, restaurant and events venue overlook a new civic square.

The building’s design and construction are defined by robustness and efficiency. A flexible office floorplate provides a net to gross of 86% with an exposed concrete structure and opening windows to maximise natural ventilation, daylight and thermal mass.

The decision to use exposed concrete was made in collaboration with the client. It enabled simplicity in terms of fire compartmentation and structural efficiencies, and significantly contributed to lowering operational energy. It’s also a self-finished material, which is enjoyed aesthetically and lowers wastage upon completion when future tenants alter the internal finishes.