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PROJECT REPORT: EDUCATION & RESEARCH FACILITIES
Drawings & models © Holmes Miller A STONE-CLAD PASSIVHAUS
The extension is the first Passivhaus building constructed in CLT in Scotland, and features stone cladding to blend with the local conservation area
D
espite its grade-B listed status and general grandeur, Sciennes Primary School – located in the Marchmont conservation area of Edinburgh – was also home to some dysfunctional modular temporary classrooms located in a small corner at the back of the site. Leaking and draughty, an upgrade was long overdue. The end result was a standalone extension that is the first Passivhaus building constructed in CLT in Scotland. Passivhaus certification is expected this month, and depending on timing, this could mean it is Scotland’s first Passivhaus primary school too.
Having a long working history with City of Edinburgh Council, architecture practice Holmes Miller was approached by the council to work with them and the school on a replacement. When discussions first started, the school was unsure of what they wanted, beyond the simple need for four new classrooms. “The initial brief really
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was as simple as ‘we’ve got to replace this with new classrooms,’” explains Holmes Miller project director and the project’s lead architect, Clara Garriga. “It could either be another set of modular classrooms, or something a bit more aspirational.” Holmes Miller had worked on several schools with the council previously, and having been impressed with their offering, wanted “an educational space that would carry that knowledge into the Sciennes school as well,” Garriga says.
A good space for learning As a client, the council was very “open minded,” Garriga explains, working with the practice and school to develop a brief. “As part of the general works Holmes Miller were doing with the council, we went through a lot of discussions on what a classroom is, what makes a good educational space, what’s suitable for children of different ages,” she says. As well
ADF JANUARY 2024
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