Scotland

New school design is a class act

Construction of the state-of-the-art, eco-friendly replacement Dunfermline High School is well advanced, in a project to provide a building with the capacity for 1,800 pupils at St Leonards Place, Dunfermline.

The project is being undertaken for Fife Council by Main Contractors BAM. Architects for the scheme are also Fife Council.

The environmentally-friendly school which has three classroom wings incorporates solar heating, rainwater collection and quality architectural design features, along with a vertical wind turbine that will provide electricity to the school.

The new building features three classroom wings with state-of-the-art heating. In addition, the school will have CO2 and heat monitors in all the classrooms, solar shading, top-level insulation, environmentally-sound materials and 40% of the heating will come from renewable sources.

The contemporary design incorporates room for a sports hall, two gyms, a dance studio, assembly hall, mini theatre workshop, library and conference accommodation.

Mary Stewart from the council’s Development Department said that the school would have a “lot of child-friendly” space.

She added: “The design of the school is deliberately flexible to allow for future classrooms and communal spaces for different age groups are carefully arranged and separated.

“The architects have successfully addressed the purpose of the building to create a facility that will not be intimidating in scale or form, but that will still be distinctive to a range of age groups.”

She added: “Overall, this is a positive design response to the need to create a stimulating but secure learning environment for a range of child and adult users.”

Currently the shell works, fit out, external works, and installation of underground utilities are all complete.

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