Renting, re-imagined

Location Edinburgh
Photography David Cadzow & Chris Humphreys
Residential Masterplanning & Regeneration New Build

2025 - Scottish Design Awards – Residential, Multi‑Unit - Shortlisted

2025 - Brick Development Association (BDA) Awards – Large Housing Development (101+ units) - shortlisted

Bringing new life to Leith through a Build-to-Rent neighbourhood shaped by community, connectivity and long-term living.

PLATFORM Bonnington transforms a prominent brownfield site into one of Edinburgh's largest Build-to-Rent neighbourhoods, delivering 464 homes alongside new commercial space, extensive resident amenities and high-quality public realm. Located between Bonnington Road Lane, Anderson Place and the Water of Leith, the development plays a key role in the ongoing regeneration of Bonnington, creating a vibrant new urban quarter designed around contemporary city living. Combining a diverse mix of studios, one, two and three-bedroom homes, including 25% affordable housing, the scheme responds to growing demand for flexible, professionally managed rental accommodation while creating a welcoming and inclusive community.

A strong masterplanning vision underpins the development. A new east-west street reconnects the site with its surroundings, creating a clear framework of routes, spaces and connections that stitch the neighbourhood into the wider urban fabric. Drawing on Bonnington's historic urban grain, the three residential blocks define a sequence of streets, courtyards and public spaces that feel both familiar and distinctive. While the development brings significant density to a former industrial site, it does so without compromising the quality of place. Landscaped courtyards, roof terraces, a woodland garden and the setting of the Water of Leith create opportunities to spend time outdoors, meet neighbours and enjoy a stronger connection to the neighbourhood and its surroundings.

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Community sits at the heart of the Build-to-Rent model. Co-working lounges, resident lounges, a gym, yoga and spin studios, family spaces, private dining rooms and rooftop terraces extend daily life beyond the apartment itself. Designed to support hybrid working, social interaction and everyday convenience, these shared amenities help foster a genuine sense of belonging and create opportunities for residents to build lasting connections. Apartment layouts prioritise daylight, flexibility and outlook, creating homes that adapt to changing lifestyles while supporting long-term rental living. Together, homes, amenities and shared spaces create a neighbourhood where convenience, community and quality of life are closely intertwined.

Drawing inspiration from Bonnington's industrial heritage, the architecture is defined by robust brickwork, expressive roofscapes and finely crafted detailing. The massing responds carefully to the surrounding townscape, river valley and historic bond warehouses, while variations in brick tone, vertical proportions and deep reveals create richness and texture across the elevations. Crisp detailing, modulating roof forms and a carefully considered palette of red, buff and multi-toned brickwork establish a strong architectural identity rooted in the character of the area while contributing to its continued evolution. More than a residential development, PLATFORM Bonnington demonstrates how thoughtful masterplanning, urban regeneration and Build-to-Rent living can come together to create a distinctive new piece of city. By bringing homes, workplaces, amenities, landscape and public realm together within a coherent urban framework, the development delivers lasting social, economic and environmental value while supporting the continued transformation of Bonnington.

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