Macmillan Square Community Hub

Acoustic Design and Testing – Macmillan Square Community Hub and North Edinburgh Arts

Client: City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh North Arts

Project value: £15m

Project team: Richard Mackenzie, David Chapman, Elena Prokofieva

Awards: Development of the Year (Public Buildings) at the Scottish Property Awards 2026

The first of its kind in the city, the Macmillan Square Community Hub forms an important part of the Pennywell Regeneration Masterplan for the City of Edinburgh Council and is bringing new learning opportunities and culture to the area.

The state-of-the-art shared building will accommodate an early year’s centre for 185 children, a new library and will provide additional space for North Edinburgh Arts.

North Edinburgh Arts, a charity operating from a purpose designed building containing enterprise and creative studio space and an expanded cafe and a large early years centre for nursery school age children, a branch library and eight apartments. These last three elements have the City of Edinburgh Council as client.

The early years centre consists of six classrooms and an infant centre on two floors. The building is organised around a circular cloistered courtyard to give as much space as possible to arrivals and departures. Multipurpose spaces are available to both the early learning centre and the community in the evening.

Six apartments on the second and third floors mark the corner between Muirhouse Crescent and Macmillan Square and are accessed from the north elevation. In addition to south facing living spaces, the residents will also have access to a garden terrace area on the roof of the library.

RMP undertook acoustic consultancy services for Phase 1 and 2 of the proposed development. A noise impact assessment was undertaken to assess the expected noise levels from the new nursery plant and external play areas and provide comment on possible mitigation measures where applicable.

RMP then provided the detailed acoustic design review for a new build Nursery, Community Library/Hub and café linked to the existing North Edinburgh Arts Centre; based upon recommendations given in the current version of Building Bulletin 93 (v17).

RMP also undertook acoustic compliance measurements for the nursery and sound insulation testing of the new build wall and floor constructions between the flats.