20 January 2026
Milestone reached on first of its kind eco-education building
An innovative eco-education building at leading independent school Dollar Academy reached a significant milestone this week with a steel signing ceremony to mark the completion of the structure’s steel frame.
Image (L-R):
FIDA Director Jacqueline Smith; Dollar Academy Rector Ian Munro; Deputy Head Girl Amy Rutherford; Deputy Head Boy Bailey Chohan; Elliot Robertson, CEO, Robertson Group; David Cairns, Regional Managing Director, Robertson Construction Central East; and Graeme Morrison, Chief Operating Officer, Dollar Academy.
Being delivered by Robertson Construction Central East, the domed building will provide a permanent home for the pioneering Futures Institute at Dollar Academy (FIDA) education programme. The initiative was established in 2021 to give young people across Scotland access to progressive education in sustainability, enterprise and equality built around the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The two-storey building is designed by globally renowned architect Andrew Whalley OBE, Chairman of Grimshaw and a former pupil of Dollar Academy, best known for projects including the Eden Project in Cornwall and the International Terminal at Waterloo Station.
The overall enclosure is formed from a lightweight glue-laminated geodesic timber dome, clad with the latest generation of insulated polymer pillows. The roof is designed to maximise passive solar gain year-round while providing full ventilation during summer for cooling.
An exposed steel structure supports the upper floor, with the majority of materials being green steel, produced using electric arc furnaces powered by renewable electricity delivering a significant reduction in embodied carbon.
Inside, FIDA will provide cutting-edge facilities including inspiring classrooms, a flexible open plan teaching and exhibition deck, social spaces, a science lab, large lecture theatre, maker space and engineering lab, a digital prototyping suite and photography studio. Its creation will allow FIDA’s existing programme – which primarily runs online and during weekends and school holidays at present – to grow, opening opportunities to more young people.
In addition to Dollar Academy pupils, the Futures Institute will be accessible to young people from schools across Scotland, supporting an inclusive learning model.
The project will also support local employment and apprenticeships, with Robertson working alongside its supply chain to ensure the benefits of the build reach the wider community.
Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “The Futures Institute at Dollar Academy brings progressive sustainable design and education together in one place and the steel signing today marks a major milestone on the project. The building shows how flexible, highly adaptable learning spaces can support innovative teaching approaches and will provide a setting that enables the Futures Institute to extend its reach to more young people across Scotland.”
Ian Munro, Rector at Dollar Academy, said: “Dollar Academy has always promoted the transformative power of education, and this idea is at the very heart of FIDA. The new building will create a world-class teaching and learning space that nurtures creativity, critical thinking and collaboration.
“The building’s unique design promotes fusion between all subjects - enabling pupils to see how the knowledge gained from one discipline can be used in an impactful way in another. It is our hope that learners throughout Scotland will have the chance to undertake FIDA courses during their time at school.”
Artist impression of the Futures Institute at Dollar Academy. Image: Grimshaw
