Work to create a newly refurbished, dog-friendly business community in Edinburgh has officially reached completion.
Orchard Brae House (OBH) is located on Queensferry Road, within easy reach of Edinburgh’s west end and city centre. Extensive refurbishment works to the building’s interior have upgraded the office space to Grade A and Grade B standard, while also adding a variety of on-site amenities with a focus on employee wellbeing and sustainability.
The community comprises a free-to-use gym, café, wellness suites, Amazon lockers, a yoga studio, gender neutral spaces, a sanctuary garden and Edinburgh’s first office dog park. An EV charging hub that can charge eight vehicles simultaneously has also been created within the 250-space car park.
Championing sustainability and supporting local businesses in achieving their net zero goals, a cycle hub and drying rooms have been incorporated to encourage a cycle-to-work culture. Free e-bikes are also available for staff use throughout the day to allow easier access into the heart of the city centre.
A variety of businesses, including Innis and Gunn, Ecometrica, Changeworks, Aderans UK and MBM Law are already based at OBH, with a range of flexible working spaces still available for lease. Entry level spaces to full fit outs are currently available, ranging from 2000 sq ft to 45,000 sq ft to cater to smaller start-ups and larger well-established businesses.
Paul Coulter, Managing Director at Eden PAM, the local asset manager on behalf of VCM Global Asset Management, said: “Ways of working have changed significantly in recent years, and post-Covid, many businesses are struggling to encourage people back into the workplace. Now, offices need to adapt to modern working patterns, and put ESG at the forefront of design. At OBH we’ve risen to the challenge by creating unique office spaces and a close-knit business community, which makes people want to come out of their houses and go to work in an environment that supports a healthy work-life balance.
“During lockdown many people bought a dog. But four years later, these dog owners now face the problem of what to do with their pets once they return to the office. We’ve provided a solution for that, by making the entire building dog-friendly and creating a dedicated enclosed outdoor exercise area for them, Edinburgh’s first office dog park.
“With the supply of high-quality business spaces in Edinburgh city centre extremely limited just now, OBH provides an affordable, accessible alternative to traditional space. Our internal amenities surpass anything else available in the city, and our dedicated front of house team ensures that our tenants always have access to on-site support when they need it.
“With our interior and grounds refurbishment works now complete, what we can offer at OBH is modern office space, including fully fitted and furnished options, comparable to anywhere in the core city centre with best-in-class amenities. We’re already seeing great demand for our remaining office spaces and have recently welcomed four new tenants.”
Leading UK wig and hair solutions specialist, Aderans UK, recently relocated to OBH. Discussing the reasons why OBH was their business community of choice, Linda Achampon, Salon Manager, said:
“We officially opened the doors to our Hair Centre at Orchard Brae House earlier this month, and we’re already seeing great benefits for our staff and customers. We chose to locate at OBH as its easily accessible for visitors and provides flexible working space that can be easily adapted to suit our unique needs.
“Helping our customers to feel good is our priority, so we created our own private entrance which allows them to visit us in confidence and remain reassured that their appointment is fully confidential. Our workspace was also adapted to include four luxury consultation rooms, a specialised trichology room and a versatile function space for events and workshops, providing everything we need in one place. This has been an exciting move for us, and we look forward to being part of the OBH community as it grows even more in the coming months.”
Moving away from traditional working spaces, OBH is shaking up the market with an innovative app that enables businesses to access everything they need in one place. The OBH app provides a one-stop-shop where tenants can find out about upcoming events and latest news, invite visitors, submit a helpdesk request, have their say on menu options and access a variety of perks available to staff.
