Fife Council has approved planning permission for the University of St Andrews' £142m New College, a major redevelopment of the former Madras College site on South Street.

The project will create a new home for the School of International Relations and the new St Andrews Business School. It is designed to encourage interdisciplinary learning by combining the careful restoration of historic buildings with contemporary additions, delivering flexible, collaborative spaces for students, academics and the wider community.

Working alongside architect WilkinsonEyre, Buro Happold is providing an integrated range of services spanning building services engineering, civil and structural engineering, sustainability consultancy, fire engineering, acoustics, transport planning, environmental consulting, facade engineering and specialist lighting design. The multidisciplinary team will coordinate building performance, comfort and constructability throughout design and delivery.

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Sam Haston, Director at Buro Happold, said: "We are delighted to collaborate with the University of St Andrews and project partners to bring this transformative vision to life."

"With a sustainability-focused design, New College represents a unique opportunity to celebrate St Andrews' rich heritage while creating a forward-looking environment that inspires innovation, fosters collaboration, and supports world-leading research and learning."

University Principal Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, who is spearheading the project, said: "I am very pleased the plan has been approved; the former Madras College secondary school building has a very special place in the hearts of so many members of the St Andrews and North East Fife community, as well as our global alumni and donor network, and we are very grateful for their interest and support for the redevelopment plans. I know many people will now watch with interest as the vision becomes a reality."

The scheme will integrate new-build elements with the grade A listed Madras building, including a striking glazed roof over the existing courtyard. Three existing buildings will receive extensive conservation work and fabric upgrades, following a fabric-first approach to improve thermal performance and comfort while cutting energy demand.

New College is applying the Net Zero Public Sector Building Standard, which sets ambitious targets for operational energy and embodied carbon, and is among the first projects to combine new construction with the refurbishment of historic structures under this framework.

Backed by £950,000 from Scotland's Public Sector Heat Decarbonisation Fund, the development aims to set a benchmark for conservation-sensitive retrofit and provide a model for sustainable adaptation across the University estate and beyond.