McLaughlin & Harvey has completed and handed over a new Passivhaus building at Wester Hailes High School in Edinburgh, with pupils and staff moving in after the half-term break.

The four-storey facility, designed for 800 learners, was delivered for the City of Edinburgh Council via the SCAPE Scotland construction framework, consolidating the school's accommodation into a single state-of-the-art building.

Sustainability sits at the core of the project, with the school constructed to stringent standards to achieve Passivhaus classic certified status.

Featuring enhanced insulation, an airtight fabric and mechanical heat recovery ventilation, the building is designed to maintain comfortable internal temperatures year-round while significantly cutting energy use.

Air permeability testing returned a final result of 0.29 ACH, comfortably below the 0.6 ACH threshold required for Passivhaus certification.

Centred on a bright, open atrium, the design links departments and classrooms and provides flexible, collaborative spaces that encourage student interaction and support wider community use.

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The contractor worked closely with local organisations during construction to maximise social value across the area.

Almost £12 million was spent with small and medium-sized enterprises; more than 318 training opportunities were created; local spend exceeded £15.6 million; and over 1,560 apprenticeship weeks were delivered.

Dougie McCusker, Construction Director, McLaughlin & Harvey, said: "It's fantastic to see pupils and staff enjoying the new building. Having been designed and constructed to Passivhaus standards, the facility futureproofs the school's estate for generations to come.

"Operationally, we faced the challenge of building the new facility while the school was still open and in close proximity to the construction works, however, we were able to ensure disruption was kept to an absolute minimum. The hard work by the whole project team, the designers, consultants and the client was definitely worth it when you see the cutting-edge building in use today."

Cllr James Dalgleish, Children, Education and Families Convener, Stirling Council, also said: "Opening this new school building is a major landmark moment for pupils, staff and the wider community in Wester Hailes. I'm really impressed with the quality of the spaces, and the building is all set to provide a modern, sustainable learning environment designed to support young people for generations to come."

Gary Meechan, Operations Director, SCAPE Scotland, added: "This project has been centred on partnership and collaboration, with a shared ambition to create sustainable, modern learning environments that benefit both pupils and teachers. Through our frameworks, we are committed to ensuring our projects deliver local impact and now complete, and it is fantastic to see that Wester Hailes High School will serve and support the community for years to come. We are proud to have been part of such a fantastic project."

The final stage of the redevelopment will see the remaining older buildings demolished and replaced with outdoor learning areas, an urban woodland and a community allotment featuring growing beds, poly tunnels and picnic benches for local use.