Tag: retrofit project

GRAHAM delivers first phase of Brunstane Primary School retrofit

GRAHAM has completed the first stage of a £10 million retrofit of Brunstane Primary School in Edinburgh, marking a major step in transforming the building into one of the city’s most sustainable education facilities.

Appointed by City of Edinburgh Council, GRAHAM is delivering the multi-phase project while the school remains operational. The works, which began in October 2024, will enable the building to be carbon neutral in operation, aligning with the Council’s ambition to reach net zero by 2030.

The first phase handed over includes 11 newly refurbished classrooms, a modernised library and the completion of a new energy centre. This allows the school to run on air source heat pumps instead of gas, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

James House, Construction Director at GRAHAM Building, said: “This milestone reflects the expertise of our team in delivering complex retrofit projects in live environments.

“The handover provides Brunstane Primary School with fully modernised classrooms and an upgraded library, alongside a new energy centre that enables the school to operate using air source heat pumps.

“These facilities have been delivered while the school remains fully operational, with the programme designed to minimise disruption to teaching and learning. The next phases will continue to improve the school’s facilities and infrastructure in line with the planned schedule.”

The next phase, due to start after the October break, will see the delivery of a new gym hall, kitchen, staff areas and toilets.

The final stage, scheduled for early 2026, will complete the remaining staff facilities, reception, offices and classrooms for Primary 1 and 2 pupils, with external works progressing alongside each phase.

Once complete, the project will provide a three-storey tower with 12 classrooms and a single-storey block with eight classrooms, administration offices, amenity space and an infant block. Improvements include new cladding, replacement windows, upgraded accessibility with new ramps and photovoltaic panels to generate renewable electricity.

Deborah Lee, principal teacher at Brunstane Primary School, said: “The new classrooms are a positive step forward, bringing P3-P7 learners back under one roof where they can truly make the new classrooms their own, creating a sense of pride and shared respect for the space.”

Warm welcome for council initiative to deliver warmer homes and lower energy bills to tenants

TENANTS in nine homes in Edinburgh will benefit from major energy upgrades to improve living standards and lower energy bills.

The homes, located in the southeast of the city, boast an Energy Performance Certificate ‘B’ rating after a series of improvements including External Wall Insulation (EWI) and window upgrades.

They are now undergoing monitoring to assess energy consumption, tenant comfort, and overall performance. Data gathered from the homes will provide valuable insight into the effectiveness of these measures and help determine the feasibility of rolling out similar upgrades across other Council housing stock.

Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: “I warmly welcome what’s been achieved in collaboration with our partners, AtkinsRéalis and Anderson Bell + Christie, on this transformative retrofit project. The energy improvements are already delivering real benefits for tenants – lower energy bills, increased comfort, and more sustainable homes.

“The data we’re collecting will be instrumental in scaling up this work to happen across other Council homes in Edinburgh, contributing towards our Net Zero 2030 target. While the work involved is complex, the long-term benefits – for our tenants, communities, and our city’s environment – are undeniable.”

Anderson Bell + Christie Director Jonathan McQuillan said: “This project signals a real shift change in how Scottish social housing landlords are approaching their obligations to improve the energy and quality of homes ahead of the Scottish Government deadline – taking a co-ordinated, architectural viewpoint to ensure the measures put in place and undertaken are tailed to each and every building to ensure its effectiveness for many generations to come.

“The City of Edinburgh Council have been pioneering in their thinking and as a result of the pilot, on which we spent two years investigating and garnering the right data, the majority of their stock can now be retrofitted with confidence.

“The improvement works support future measures such as district heating systems, making them ‘net zero-ready’.”

The project adopted a ‘whole house approach’ to implement advanced retrofit standards for the nine pilot homes. The properties were selected following an in-depth review of 52 building types which involved comprehensive surveys, including asbestos checks, air-tightness testing, and extensive energy modelling.