York-based architecture firm brown + company has secured first place in a national design competition to create a new community facility on the Portobello Promenade in Edinburgh.

The North of England practice, located on Blossom Street, York, beat entries from across the UK to win the National Design Ideas Competition for the project, which aims to revitalise a dated public toilet block along the North Sea coastline. The promenade is a popular local spot famous for its beach, swimming, and watersports facilities.

The competition, run by the City of Edinburgh Council, sought proposals to extend public access by incorporating commercial and community uses into the refurbished block.

Neil Brown, managing director of brown + company, explained the winning proposal: "Our scheme enhances accessibility with new inclusive toilets, a Changing Places facility, and showers for beachgoers. It reimagines the existing facilities through sensitive refurbishment and thoughtful expansion."

The design features a timber extension, crafted from locally sourced materials, which wraps around the original structure to reflect the tones of the shoreline and give the building "renewed warmth and character."

Mr Brown continued: "By pushing the structure out to the perimeter walls, the design creates a flexible commercial space adaptable to a range of community needs. A generous roof overhang offers shelter and a sense of intimacy within the exposed coastal setting."

A key element of the proposal is a community garden, which will be a shared initiative nurtured by local schools, charities, and residents. Produce grown in the garden is intended for use within the facility, reinforcing the project’s commitment to local collaboration and sustainability.

The competition judges praised the firm’s submission, titled the ‘Porty Cooperative Café’, commenting: “This was a quietly confident entry, combining flexibility and simple charm to create an attractive community anchor. Brown + company’s Porty Cooperative Café convinced the jury with its unassuming clarity. A modest café, social hub, and practical toilet block, it embraces the brief’s call for community driven simplicity.”

The jury also noted its suitability for the coastal location: “Its buildable design, with scope for kayak storage or boat club admin, fits the promenade’s gentle curve without crowding its salty openness.”

brown + company will begin the detail design stage in the coming months before the project goes out to tender. The firm's portfolio includes notable projects such as St Peter’s School, Coney Street Riverside, and 23 Piccadilly in York, alongside schemes in East Yorkshire and Leeds.