Liberton Nursery
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Once an uncomfortably cold, underperforming Victorian nursery averaging just 13.2°C indoors, Liberton Nursery has been transformed into a warm, healthy, low-carbon learning environment and a national first in bio-based material retrofit within the public sector. Built in 1870, the building was falling into disrepair, with increasing running and maintenance costs alongside declining usability. Its regeneration secures this much-loved community asset for future generations of children in Liberton.
Location
Edinburgh, UK
Area
Status
Completed
Year
2025
Client
City of Edinburgh Council
In 2021, the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) commissioned Architype to develop an estate-wide decarbonisation strategy. From detailed analysis of 12 typologies, three pilot projects were selected to test an ‘EnerPHit-informed’ retrofit framework. Liberton Nursery, representative of the Council’s historic Victorian stock, was chosen as a flagship typology for deep retrofit and regeneration. Reopening in August 2025, Liberton Nursery demonstrates a 61% reduction in heating demand, 90% reduction in operational CO₂ emissions, and improved comfort with an average indoor temperature of 17.3°C. This project not only breathes new life into a 155-year-old building but establishes a replicable blueprint for sustainable regeneration across Edinburgh’s public estate.
Vision
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Design
Sensitive to its heritage context—adjacent to two listed buildings—the project sought to preserve the nursery’s distinctive character whilst radically improving energy performance and comfort. Extensive investigation and modelling identified key heat-loss pathways and fabric make-up, informing a bio-based retrofit strategy that balances sustainability, breathability, and heritage preservation. Key interventions include a limecrete ground-bearing slab, Diathonite (lime and cork) internal wall insulation, and hygroscopic roof insulation—materials more typically used in conservation settings, now applied innovatively at a civic scale.
Expertise
Articles
Our elegant retrofit of Liberton Nursery has been named a finalist in the Edinburgh Architectural Association's 2026 Awards
Liberton Nursery
Schools
Architecture
Material Impacts
Crafting High Performance Retrofit
News
Liberton Nursery recognised by the Edinburgh Architectural Association
21 September 2026
Helen Murray
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