Project of the week

WHAT: Set among landscaped grounds, the former Gogarburn hospital is now the new headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland's 3,250 staff. The self-contained business campus has been designed as a "small town" with an internal high street, squares and neighbourhoods that comprise eight separate business houses. It includes two Starbucks coffee shops, a bistro, hairdresser, pharmacy, florist and Tesco Express.

WHEN: Work began in November 2002 and was completed in July 2005.

COST: £350m

SIZE: 100-acre site including the main 75,000m sq office complex arranged as seven business houses along a 300 metre stone paved internal street.

BACKGROUND: A previous headquarters project to redevelop St James House in central Edinburgh had to be abandoned when the property deal fell through.

PROJECT TEAM: QS: Doig & Smith/Mott Green Wall, project and construction manager: Mace, architect: Michael Laird, landscape architect: EDAW, structural/services consultants: WSP

FACILITIES: The existing Gogarburn House was restored as a staff club, which is linked to a 2,500m sq glass pavilion leisure centre containing a pool, gym and medical centre. The conference and training centre comprises a 300-seat auditorium with an in-house TV studio. A staff nursery, play area and sports pitches are situated nearby.

SPECIAL FEATURES: The contemporary design aims to reflect the character of Edinburgh's New Town with sandstone and glass. The boardroom is a stone clad elliptical structure rising from a small lake marking the main entrance to the building. A dramatic new single arch suspension bridge provides road access to the site from the west and creates a new gateway into the city.

FUTURE: A separate 70-bedroom RBS Business School is currently under construction on an adjacent site, developed with Harvard Business School. It will provide executive education for all RBS companies.