34 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

This is a substantial townhouse, designed by William Playfair and built between 1826 and 1833. It forms part of a long terrace of 34 classical townhouses on Regent Terrace in Edinburgh. The terrace is notable for its stepped design, following the slope of the road, and punctuated by two larger pavilions (Nos 11-16 and 23-28) and a shorter section at the western end (Nos 1-4). Many of the original two-story townhouses now have an additional third story.

The architecture is classical in style, with a basement, ground floor, first floor, and attic. The basement is constructed with droved ashlar, while the upper floors are faced with polished ashlar. The side and rear elevations are largely of coursed squared rubble with dressed margins. The principal elevation features a base course, dividing bands between the basement and ground floor, and between the ground and first floors. A continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with a Greek key border runs along the first floor. Above the first-floor windows is a band course, followed by a main cornice and an eaves cornice. A doorpiece is formed of fluted attached Greek Doric columns. The fenestration is regular, with architraved windows on the ground, first, and second floors. The ground-floor windows have panelled aprons, and the second-story windows are separated by sunken panels.

The southeast (principal) elevation has a timber-panelled and glazed door with a letterbox fanlight, accessed by steps and a platt overlying the basement recess. There is a blocked-in area to the right of the basement level, now containing a window and a modern timber door.

The northeast (side) elevation incorporates a low-level band course, a window above, and a canted-framed window with splayed jambs. A window is also situated at second-story level. The northwest (rear) elevation is three bays wide and includes a rendered extension (two stories to the left, three stories to the center) and a timber and glass conservatory extension to the left.

The windows are predominantly sash and case, with plate glass. Four-pane glazing is common to the first and second floors of the front elevation, while the basement has twelve-pane glazing. The roof is an M-roof with a central valley, covered with graded grey slate. Stone skews and skewputts are present. Ashlar wallhead stacks with octagonal flues are located on the northeast side, while rendered wallhead stacks and a mutual rendered ridge stack are on the rear elevation.

The front of the building features stone coping surmounted by cast-iron railings with dog bars, spear-head finials, and a distinctive circled border, which edges the basement recess and platt. A wrought iron lamp standard stands to the left of the platt. A random rubble boundary wall with flat coping forms the rear garden boundary, incorporating a timber-boarded door on the northeast wall.