Robertson supports local authorities with landmark net zero-ready schools

This includes three brand-new schools in Dundee, Monifieth and Perth, delivered to exacting Passivhaus standards and supported by the Scottish Government's Learning Estates Investment Programme (LEIP), alongside five refurbishment projects.  All projects were completed on budget and programme in time for the new school term.

The £100m Drumgeith Community Campus and Greenfield Academy represents Dundee City Council’s most significant investment in education, sport and community facilities, designed to meet  the council’s net zero targets. The new campus serves around 1,500 pupils while also providing wider community facilities.

The campus has been built to Passivhaus standards, with triple glazing, airtight construction and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. It also incorporates solar panels and green steel to reduce its carbon impact.

Alongside teaching and learning spaces, the campus includes a library, games halls, gymnasiums, a fitness suite, a dance studio and floodlit football and rugby pitches. It also connects directly to the Dundee Green Circular with new walking and cycling routes and is open for community use through youth engagement, fitness programmes and cultural activities.

In Angus, the £66.5m Monifieth Learning Campus provides a modern, low-carbon environment for more than 1,200 pupils. Described by Angus Council’s Leader George Meechan as an “invaluable investment in the future”, the school has been built to Passivhaus standards with a fabric-first approach that incorporates triple glazing, heat recovery ventilation, air source heat pumps and solar panels. Together, these features target annual energy use of just 67 kWh per square metre and contribute directly to the council’s net zero ambitions.

The new campus will provide modern classrooms, early learning and childcare facilities, a theatre, drama and dance studios, dedicated outdoor space for pupils with additional support needs, extensive sports provision and an indoor 25m swimming pool. 

Construction was managed to allow the existing school to remain open until the new building was ready. Both the Drumgeith and Monifieth projects were awarded via the Procurement Hub Major Projects Framework 2.

Perth High School becomes the largest school in Perth & Kinross. The £80m three-storey building provides space for 1,600 pupils and 140 staff in modern, low-energy learning environments. Built to Passivhaus standards, it is designed to achieve the highest levels of energy efficiency with an all-electric system, using solar panels, underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery.

The new boomerang-shaped building features a triple-height dining and social area linked to outdoor recreation spaces. Delivered through hub East Central Scotland, it demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable, future-focused education. 

Construction alongside the existing school allowed teaching to continue throughout the build. The previous school will now be demolished as part of the second phase to allow for new sports facilities to be provided, including grass and synthetic pitches, a 3G surface and a multi-use games area.

All three new-build schools benefit from Scottish Government investment through its LEIP funding and meet the campus standards set out as part of Target 2030, Scotland’s Learning for Sustainability (LfS) action plan.

Regional Managing Director, Robertson Construction Tayside, Kevin Dickson commented: “Three state-of-the-art high-quality schools completed on programme, on budget and opening in the very same week highlights the expertise and reputation we have built over more than a decade in the region. These handovers were thanks to the collective commitment and determination of our employees, supply chain and all stakeholders involved. 

“Designed to the highest sustainable standards, they follow our successful delivery of Riverside Primary School, Scotland's first accredited Passivhaus primary. Riverside has already exceeded performance expectations for energy, indoor air quality and comfort – and we expect these projects to achieve the same.”

In addition to the new-build schools, Robertson Construction Tayside has been working on a rolling refurbishment programme consisting of eight phases over nearly six years at the 90-year-old Perth Academy. Works have breathed new life into the building ranging from electrical upgrades and structural steel remediations to the refurbishment of classrooms and installing new equipment for teaching areas.

Transformative refurbishments have also been completed for Dundee City Council at Barnhill, Craigiebarns, Eastern and Blackness primary schools, including roofing, general refurbishment, repairs and MEP upgrades. 

Across these education projects, Robertson has demonstrated its commitment to generating local social and economic value. This is reflected through 75% of its supply chain spend being within 40 miles of each project, 700 local people employed, and community initiatives such as helping to deliver a new sensory area at Woodlea Cottage, a respite facility in Perth. 

Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, added: “These schools each illustrate what can be achieved when a local authority, community, project partners and supply chain work together with a shared vision to deliver spaces that inspire learning, support wellbeing, and bring people together. 

“Having successfully delivered for these customers before, they know our commitment to quality across the build, to helping them achieve their net zero targets and to supporting them in fostering sustainable communities whilst delivering community wealth-building initiatives through employment, local spend and early career opportunities. 

“It is hugely rewarding to know that thousands of pupils are starting the new term in schools we have helped to create or improve, and that these schools will play a pivotal role in education across the region. We wish pupils, staff and their communities every success as they make these inspiring spaces their own.”