Edinburgh City Council has revealed plans to deliver the first Passivhaus high school in the country, the new Currie Community High School
The Passivhaus high school will be designed to meet rigorous energy standards which will reduce the amount of energy needed to heat the building by up to 90%.
It also lowers the total amount of energy used by around 70% and minimises carbon emissions.
The new Passivhaus high school will support Edinburgh’s aim of net-zero emissions by 2030.
At the heart of the new school plans are five core elements – education, inclusion, outdoor learning and sustainability, digital learning and community access.
The new school will emphasise outdoor learning with the creation of a special terrace on the second floor providing all of the learning zones with immediate access to external teaching spaces.
Health and wellbeing also feature prominently in the designs with the creation of a dedicated wellbeing hub and separate wellness centre to support pupils.
‘Innovative and pioneering’
Jenny Smith, Currie Community High School Head Teacher, said: “We’re incredibly excited as a community about our new school. The designs are coming together beautifully and truly representative of our community vision for education and lifelong learning.
“Our new school is going to be innovative and pioneering in every way, very much flying the Passivhaus flag, and of course, the first of its kind in Scotland.”
Councillor Ian Perry, education, children and families convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, added: “These are really exciting times for the Currie community as these pioneering designs really are the blueprint for the schools of the future.
“There are so many innovative elements to the plans with energy efficiency at its centre. This will make the new campus the first high school in Scotland to meet Passivhaus standards and supports Edinburgh’s aim of net-zero emissions by 2030.
“The new Currie Community High School will provide a first-class learning environment and an exciting, inspirational and creative hub for the whole community.
“This is an exciting period for education in the Capital with recent new builds and projects under construction demonstrating our ambitious new school building programme with £500m investment planned over the next 10 years.”
The new passivhaus high school will be designed in line with the guiding principles of the Scottish Government’s Learning Estate Strategy and is expected to be completed in 2024.
