An Exciting Six Months at MLA!
It’s been a fun filled, busy first six months of 2023 here at MLA, so here’s a mid-year update filled with news of a brand-new office location and lots of project updates.
Expansion into Manchester
In May, we opened our first location in England, and Stevie Leigh joined MLA as Director to run the office and strengthen our presence in the North. The new office opening was bolstered by the completion of our first project in Manchester with the CAT-A refurbishment of Freetrade Exchange on Peter Street. We’re also currently making great progress with the fit-out of 1 Spinningfields for NatWest Group, bringing our expertise to the heart of Manchester’s Deansgate area.
If you have any projects you’d like to talk to us about in the north of England (or anywhere else!), please get in touch with Stevie.
Projects Completed
We take immense pride in seeing our projects finish and handed over to our clients. As part of our involvement in BT’s Better Workplace Programme, we kicked the year off with the completion of Riverside Tower in Belfast, and the refurbishment of Alexander Bain House in Glasgow achieved practical completion last month. Additionally, 200 Broomielaw re-opened its doors in June, following the refurbishment of the office development.
On-Site Progress
Construction is progressing on multiple sites. The CAT-B fit-out for Baillie Gifford at the new Haymarket development is well underway and we’re in the midst of fitting out OVO Energy’s new office in Glasgow delivering a fun, colourful and sustainable design.
In residential, the Belford Road development for AMA Homes is taking shape, as is Mall Avenue in Musselburgh for Dundas Estates and the Newington Residences for CALA Homes.
We’re also making headway with the refurbishment of 30 Semple Street, which will become one of Scotland’s greenest office developments having achieved an array of sustainable accreditations already at design stage. The retrofit of HMRC’s former Meldrum House office in Edinburgh into a boutique aparthotel is also well underway.
Last but not least, two previously mothballed distilleries are close to their rebirth, with Falkirk’s Rosebank Distillery for Ian Macleod Distillers returning as ‘The King of the Lowlands’, and the new Port Ellen Distillery on Islay for Diageo also on track to resume production this year. Sláinte!
Awards Galore!
We’re proud that our work has been recognised and celebrated at a number of award ceremonies. In February, the National Robotarium received a commendation at the Scottish Property Awards for Architectural Excellence. Our designs for Brodies LLP at Capital Square won Best Fit-out of Workplace at the BCO Awards, whilst the M&G building at Kildean Business Park also picked up a commendation for Corporate Workplace, more recently also winning the Best New Build outside of London at the OAS (Office Agent’s Society) Awards. The café and VIP space at Talisker Distillery was shortlisted in the Commercial Project category at the Scottish Design Awards. And to top it off, we made this year’s AJ100, sneaking onto the list in 99th place!
We don’t do it for the awards, but we love to celebrate when a project is recognised by the industry so well done to all the teams who were involved in these projects, both at MLA and the fantastic clients and consultants that we work with.
In the Pipeline
We’ve been busy bees with several exciting projects currently in the works. First up, we’re collaborating with Foster + Partners and New Practice on Landsec’s redevelopment of Buchanan Galleries, which will transform the city centre of Glasgow. Plans for a new maturation warehouse facility at Bandeath were submitted for planning on behalf of Ian MacLeod Distillers in March. Additionally, we have submitted plans for a new lab & office development at Dales Manor Business Park in Sawston, Cambridgeshire, whilst preparation works have begun on two student residential projects – the first at the former Tynecastle High School in Gorgie, transforming this site into high quality student resi development, the second at Haymarket Yards in the city centre.
And that wraps up the highlights of our first half of the year! We’re incredibly grateful to be kept so busy by our incredible clients. Stay tuned for more updates…