CCG (Scotland) has made significant progress in the ongoing development of a new new affordable housing scheme in the heart of Edinburgh city centre in Newington.

CCG commenced construction on Cowan's Close on behalf of The City of Edinburgh Council in April. Despite the project being located within a densely populated and constrained urban area, the four-storey block is already wind and watertight, scheduled for completion next summer.

The rapid progress is attributed to CCG's advanced offsite construction methods. The firm's closed panel ‘iQ' Timber System is precision-engineered and fabricated in the CCG OSM facility—one of the most advanced offsite manufacturing facilities in the UK.

David Wylie, Managing Director of CCG (Scotland), commented: "Cowan's Close is an excellent example of how CCG's modern methods of construction can deliver high-quality, low-carbon homes even on the most complex and constrained urban sites."

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The use of the offsite approach, where entire wall zones (integrated with CCG's windows and external door sets) are fully assembled under factory conditions, enhances construction quality and accuracy. This method also significantly reduces vehicle movements to the dense site, contributing to a lower carbon footprint and reduced disruption for the surrounding community.

Once complete, the development, designed by Andeson Bell + Christie, will provide a total of 19 fully wheelchair-accessible flats for social rent. The homes are designed for advanced thermal performance, with the precision-engineered closed panel system resulting in superior airtightness and insulation. This translates to warmer homes, lower energy demand, and reduced fuel bills for future tenants.

Further supporting the city's net-zero transition, the housing block features zero-emissions air source heat pump technology, significantly reducing operational carbon emissions.

Beyond the technical achievements, CCG is also creating wider community benefits through the project, including providing full-time jobs for local people, offering site visits for students, and sponsoring community initiatives.