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feature


maintenance, refurb & heritage conservation


complex conversations in heritage conservation


Martin Stewart, associate director at Harley Haddow, explores how the world’s oldest student union, Edinburgh University’s Teviot Row House, was reimagined for the next century...


Conserving a heritage building is rarely a matter of simply restoring what once was. In my experience, it is a constant negotiation between various elements: architectural legacy and modern expectations; the constraints of historic fabric; and the demands of contemporary use. Few projects have demonstrated this more clearly than Teviot Row House, the University of Edinburgh’s iconic


student union and the world’s oldest purpose-built facility of its kind. Opened in 1889, Teviot has long been


a cornerstone of student life. Its bars, debating chambers, study spaces and social rooms have hosted generations of students and societies alike. That emotional heritage brought a particular responsibility to the refurbishment.


“Loved by students, staff and alumni”, according to the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, that affection shaped every decision we made. Our task was to honour that legacy while preparing the building for the next century. A heritage fabric that demanded precision Teviot’s Category B-listed status meant its sandstone exterior, stained-glass windows,


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