New Town Quarter

The former RBS headquarters in Edinburgh presented a significant brownfield redevelopment opportunity. Orion Capital Managers aspired to transform the 5.9-acre site into a thriving mixed-use destination, delivering up to 435 new homes across a range of tenures (private sale, build-to-rent and mid-market), flexible office accommodation and supporting retail, gym and public realm. The client required a strategy to conceal car parking under a raised landscape podium, enhance pedestrian connections to surrounding historic streets, and engage local stakeholders through planning and design without compromising on financial viability. 

G&T is providing Cost Management, Project Management and Principal Designer & CDM Consultancy services from early stage through to planning submission. We led cost planning and procurement, ensuring budgets reflected mixed-tenure housing, office flexibility (multi- or single-let) and high-quality retail/gym fit-outs. We have managed public consultation events, coordinated multi-disciplinary teams (including architects, engineers and landscape designers), and supported podium deck engineering—all while minimising financial risk and aligning delivery with Orion’s vision.

With planning well underway, New Town Quarter is poised to deliver a new sustainable urban community featuring homes, offices, retail, fitness facilities and green public spaces linked via a landscaped podium to the historic Royal Crescent. The scheme maximises urban connectivity and car-free design, with podium parking concealed below, and delivers a vibrant public plaza that opens onto George V Park. G&T’s integrated delivery approach ensured the vision is financially robust and planning-ready, laying a strong foundation for implementation in the coming phases.