Education \ Rugby and Hockey Pavilions, Edinburgh Academy

Rugby pavillion renovation and extension for Edinburgh Academy. Completed in 2016.

The site sits within the Inverleith Conservation Area and due cognizance of the Conservation Areas Management Plan was taken in the designs of the buildings. To ensure that the townscape character of its parks and green spaces are not eroded by piecemeal successive development, this included the placing of the proposed designs within the context of an overall master plan for future change on the site.

The main 'original' sandstone pavilion building fronts the playing fields and incorporates a covered terrace. The front (South West) elevation is a formal, symmetrical one, with the main entrance into the 'tea hall' located centrally in the facade, and two separate entrances provided to changing rooms located in each of the buildings front 'bays'. A third changing room is accessed from another separate doorway on the North West elevation. The North East elevation shares little of the formality of the front elevation, and is clearly designed as the 'back elevation' and with the 'outhouse' changing block now forms an unfortunate 'non' space between the two buildings. Ironically, it is this 'rear' elevation that is seen first on public approach to the building playing fields.

The separate block houses a further 2 changing rooms, both accessed separately by separate external entrances. The L shaped building abuts the East boundary of the site and is finished in harling and is clearly subservient to the main pavilion in its architectural design and detail. The building provides a blank harled wall to the east boundary and Arboretum Place with three skylights provided within the pitched slate roof on this elevation. The new proposed extension to the main pavilion attempts to provide a new public approach elevation to the pavilion.

Work began on site in May 2015, following completion of the Hockey Pavilion on the same Newfield Playing Area and was completed in 2016. The Hockey Pavilion can be viewed by clicking here.

Hockey Pavillion for Edinburgh Academy. Completed in 2015.
The design involved the replacement of the previous sports pavilion on the site with a new fit for purpose facility, incorporating six changing rooms, ancillary accommodation including a first aid room, referees changing space and storage.

The previous pavilion occupied an area of ground located centrally in the overall Newfield Playing Site within a line of trees that runs from North to South. The new building provides additional accommodation and although resulting in a larger footprint than the previous, this is  mitigated in the new building being perceived as being long and low ‘ground hugging’. The previous building was in some ways a ‘landmark’ in design - with the building sitting on a significant raised plinth and occupying an elevated position overlooking both the Hockey and Rugby pitches on the site. The new building does the opposite, staying low to the ground and as a consequence offers a significantly reduced ridge height. The building has been deliberately orientated on a North South axis on par with the treeline, so as to minimise the visual impact on residential properties by offering its smallest gable elevation to the North and South boundaries. In this way, key views are protected and the natural heritage and perceived open green space of the site is maintained from these key neighbouring boundaries. This orientation is also key in the setting of the building when viewed from a distance from East Fettes Avenue, to the West and across the Rugby pitch area to the East. The design intent here has been to see the building as part of the landscape and for it to be set and read as part of the existing tree line with the trees providing a backdrop to the new buildings.

This project was completed in  May 2015.