A development partnership in Edinburgh demonstrates how digital construction and circular practices can address homelessness scale.
An ambitious collaboration between charity Social Bite and regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate has delivered a practical example of how digital construction principles, sustainable development, and material reuse can support social outcomes. More than 2,500 tonnes of crushed demolition material have been transported across Edinburgh to form the foundations of a new Social Bite Village at Granton waterfront, turning demolition waste into long-term social infrastructure.
The operation involved nearly 100 truckloads of inert building rubble recovered from the former Deutsche Bank House at 525 Ferry Road. Rather than disposing of the material, Artisan Real Estate integrated circular construction strategies into its demolition process, ensuring viable materials were retained, tracked, and repurposed. This approach aligns closely with digital construction methodologies that prioritise material data management, waste reduction, and whole-life asset thinking.
Recycled demolition
The recycled demolition material is now being used to establish level groundwork for the new Social Bite Village, which will provide secure accommodation for up to 16 people affected by homelessness. The development includes seven new one-bedroom Nest Houses alongside converted existing buildings, with layouts informed directly by resident feedback. Shared facilities, gardens, and food-growing spaces are central to the design, supporting community-led living models increasingly recognised within social value frameworks.
From a digital construction perspective, the project highlights how early-stage planning, logistics coordination, and material lifecycle assessment can support both sustainability targets and social objectives. By embedding reuse strategies into demolition and groundworks phases, project teams can reduce embodied carbon while accelerating delivery timelines and lowering costs associated with waste disposal and imported aggregates.
Environmental outcome
Artisan Real Estate’s commitment reflects a broader shift within the UK construction sector towards measurable environmental, social, and governance outcomes. As Managing Director for Scotland David Westwater notes, maximising reuse following demolition is now standard practice within responsible development. In this case, that commitment has enabled direct support for a proven homelessness intervention.
The Social Bite Village model has already supported more than 100 residents in Edinburgh, helping individuals transition from temporary accommodation into permanent housing, employment, and reconnection with family networks. The new Granton village replaces a temporary site nearby and is designed as a permanent asset, demonstrating how innovative construction methods can underpin scalable solutions to housing insecurity.
Future developments
Founder Josh Littlejohn MBE emphasises that the village design offers a practical alternative to unsupported temporary accommodation, particularly as UK cities face declared housing emergencies. The project also provides a replicable blueprint for future developments, combining modular housing, digital construction planning, and community-focused design.
Artisan’s adjacent 525 Park View development, commencing in early 2026, will deliver 256 low-carbon homes, including affordable housing and flexible commercial space. Together, these projects illustrate how digital construction, sustainable redevelopment, and social partnership can be integrated within modern urban regeneration.
By combining digital construction, material reuse, and social partnership, this Edinburgh project shows how the built environment can deliver measurable social value alongside sustainability and long-term urban regeneration outcomes.
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