The Brunstane Primary School retrofit is being delivered by GRAHAM, and has finished its first major step in becoming a sustainable education facility
GRAHAM was appointed by the City of Edinburgh Council to deliver the £10m school retrofit.
The school is still operational while the works are carried out, including refurbished classrooms, a modernised library, and a new energy centre to bring the building to a carbon neutral operation.
The council is aiming for net zero by 2030
City of Edinburgh Council is aiming to achieve net zero in its constituency by 2030, leading to this Brunstane Primary School retrofit. The retrofit changes the energy system used throughout the building to run on air source heat pumps instead of gas.
The next phase is due to start after the October school break, and will deliver a new gym hall, kitchen, staff areas, and toilets, before the final phase in 2026 sees the completion of remaining staff facilities, the reception, offices, and classrooms for Primary 1 and 2 students.
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.”
Retrofit is important for the UK’s future
Writing for PBC Today in August, Annisa Sekaringtias discusses the importance of retrofit to the UK’s future resilience, especially with climate change-related incidents on the rise.
This includes hotter summers, colder winters, and the increasing likelihood of floods damaging homes. Anissa argues that action must be taken now to prevent disaster in the future. Government actions, finances, and retrofit training are all important for preventing these issues, and are pressing as one in four homes will be at risk of flooding by 2050.
Anissa wrote: “Housing improvements today reduce fuel poverty, prevent future financial distress and lessen the burden on public systems. To unlock this potential, the construction sector, financial institutions and government need to collaborate to build a shared industry-wide knowledge base, supported by common standards, shared data and aligned incentives.
“Retrofit is no longer a niche agenda. It is central to ensuring that homes remain safe, insurable and affordable in a warming world.”
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