BlackRock moves to stunning £48 million Edinburgh office hidden behind Victorian frontage

BlackRock has relocated to Dundas House, on Brandon Street, Canonmills, from its former offices in the Fountainbridge area of the capital. The move increases the firm’s footprint in the city by 63 per cent, to some 140,000 square feet.

Dundas House – not to be confused with RBS’ Dundas House on St Andrew Square – has undergone a £48m transformation by Robertson Construction to create Grade A office space for 1,500 people, complete with new, high-quality facilities.

The firm was appointed main contractor under a design and build contract in 2024 to carry out extensive refurbishment works to the offices, which comprised a two-storey listed Victorian building with feature frontage and four-storey extension added in the early 2000s.

The project introduced modern facilities including a new commercial catering kitchen, coffee shop, café and restaurant spaces, as well as flexible workspaces, breakout zones, meeting rooms and a multi-use atrium. The design is said to have focused on “enhancing employee wellbeing”, with quiet spaces and acoustic materials to minimise sound transfer and support the needs of a broad mix of occupants.

Make sure you keep up to date with breaking news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here.

Elliot Robertson, chief executive of Robertson Group, said: “Working with BlackRock on this project was about creating a workplace that matched its ambition for a high-quality environment for its people. Our team combined the preservation of the Victorian frontage with the transformation of the wider building to provide modern facilities and sustainable systems that improve efficiency and reduce carbon impact.

“We helped BlackRock fulfil its vision to expand its footprint in the capital. We also engaged local contractors, supported local charities, and kept neighbours informed every step of the way. Building relationships in our communities is key to our continued success.

“Dundas House has been delivered to the highest standards of design and functionality, giving BlackRock a future-ready environment to support its growth in Edinburgh and helping to reinforce the city’s position as a global financial centre,” he added.

A range of energy-efficient heating and electrical systems were installed to help decarbonise the building and reduce running costs. Gas heating was removed and replaced with two large air source heat pumps, each the size of a single decker bus, which draw heat energy from the air and lower carbon emissions.

During construction, Robertson diverted 100 per cent of waste from landfill and reclaimed and reused materials wherever possible. This included upgrades to all four car parks, with existing surfaces lifted, restored and re-laid with electric vehicle (EV) charging installed.

Throughout the project, Robertson used special software to capture up-to-date 360-degree footage of the building. This meant BlackRock teams, regardless of location, could navigate the office virtually, explore different areas and compare progress with the original design plans.

Robertson, said 83 per cent of the project cost was spent with a local supply chain, including £12m with small and medium-sized enterprises, and a range of community initiatives were delivered, such as monetary and in-kind donations to charities.