Construction has officially commenced on a new health and wellbeing centre at Fettes College in Edinburgh. The facility, named the Allardice Centre in memory of former student David Allardice, will provide a centralised hub for medical and pastoral care services, focusing on students' physical and mental health.

The building is being funded by a generous legacy from David Allardice.

"It is exciting to see construction of this ground-breaking new facility begin," said Helen Harrison, Head of Fettes College. "The Allardice Centre will be such an important resource within our campus and wouldn’t exist without the very generous legacy from the late David Allardice. We are extremely grateful that he wanted to include Fettes and all our current and future students and staff in his legacy. This Centre will stand as a testament to his belief in the importance of the whole person, demonstrating our commitment to nurturing both the physical and mental health of our students, building resilience, and allowing them to thrive academically and personally."

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Designed by Page/Park and built by CCG (Scotland), the Allardice Centre will be constructed to an advanced energy standard, promoting low-carbon operations. It will feature high insulation levels and a low-emissions heating system. The design aims to integrate functionality with a sense of openness, connecting the building to the surrounding landscape.

"The school clearly places a great deal of emphasis on their students’ wellbeing in and out of the classroom, and I am thankful to the Leadership Team for choosing CCG to deliver this project and commemorate the Allardice name," said David Wylie, Managing Director of CCG. "It sees us once again working in collaboration with Page/Park...and we look to working with them and our much-valued project team members over the next year."

Page/Park Architects added: "We are delighted to see the Allardice Centre starting on site. Designed to set new standards for sustainable development in the College grounds, the project is a testament to our work with Fettes to establish a route to net zero carbon operations."

The construction commencement was marked by representatives from the college, including The Rt Hon Lady Morag Wise, Helen Harrison, Peter Worlledge, Sue Bruce, and student prefects, along with Amanda Forsyth, a friend of David Allardice, who held the historic trowel used in laying the foundation stone of Fettes College in 1864.