Biomedical Research Edinburgh Building, Architect, Little France Project Images, Design Info

Biomedical Research Centre Edinburgh News

Masterplan, Little France, Scotland design by Keppie Design Architects

post updated 1 July 2023

Edinburgh Biomedical Research Centre

Keppie Architects: Edinburgh Medical Masterplan

Biomedical Building: photo from keppie architects

Keppie Design’s £200m masterplan for a Centre for Biomedical Research at Little France, Edinburgh has been given the go-ahead following a “breakthrough” land agreement.

The pioneering project is expected to create 6000 jobs and will inject almost £500m a year into the national economy. The 100 acre site will be built over a 15 year period and is supported by Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian, which will invest £23m in the centre.

The design vision for the proposed Centre for Biomedical Research at
Little France is the creation of an ordered, stimulating and diverse environment with a landscape and infrastructure framework that can suggest and sustain development on a phased basis.

An essential feature of this plan is the location of the Research Centre right next to the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and University of Edinburgh Medical School, both of which are Keppie Design projects. This close physical proximity will create an environment that positively encourages collaboration and interaction between researchers in different disciplines, and particularly between scientists and clinicians, as well providing an integrated teaching environment for medical students, allowing them a unique education combining traditional teaching with clinical patient care and current research.

Shared communal spaces such as libraries, canteens, seminar rooms etc will
help increase the level of interaction between scientists, clinicians, students
and commercial and academic researchers. The integrated campus allows all areas to be accessed on foot. The Biomedical Research masterplan illustrates the University Campus as the pivotal element of the whole development, allowing the necessary linkage between hospital and commercial research facilities to develop through an integrated framework of sensitively designed open spaces. These spaces recognise and embrace the areas unique topographical character.

The Edinburgh Biomedical research park, which will inject £440m into the economy every year and will create 6000 jobs has been described as one of Scottish Enterprise’s 40 High Impact Projects in their 2003-2004 Five Year Investment Plan. The Centre for Biomedical Research is one of four key project types highlighted by SE for development and Keppie Design is also involved in two others – the regeneration of the Clyde Waterfront, with its flagship office building at 200 Broomielaw and the creation of the Dundee Digital Medical Campus, where the company is redeveloping the old Seabraes Mill.

Keppie Design is consistently recognised as one of the UK’s foremost architectural practices. Throughout its 150 year history, it has maintained a leading edge position within a constantly evolving industry. The practice specialises in the design and construction of sophisticated buildings to the highest standard, and most importantly, the spaces in between those buildings. Keppie Design is one of the most significant architectural resources in the UK.

Keppie Design Centre for Biomedical Research Building information Apr 2004

Centre for Biomedical Research
Work has begun on a medical research centre in Edinburgh. Contractors have started building the Edinburgh University Research Institute for Medical Cell Biology at Little France.
04.04.03

University Research
£52m medical research centre proposal unveiled: next to Edinburgh’s new Royal Infirmary.
03.12.02

Little France Building Designs

Little France Property Designs

Research Institute for Medical Cell Biology, Little France
£52m medical research centre (construction cost £34m): a 3-storey concrete building, on site of new Royal Infirmary, providing laboratory accommodation for 620 research staff, now 70% complete (Dec 2004). The Medical Cell Biology Research Building is parallel with Craigmillar Castle Road at the west end of the site, to the left from the entrance off Old Dalkeith Road

Keppie Design

Edinburgh Bioquarter – Scottish Life Science cluster