Edinburgh school gets refurbished classrooms to reduce carbon footprint
The first stage of a £10 million retrofit project has been completed at Edinburgh’s Brunstane Primary School.
Work began in October last year after Edinburgh City Council appointed Graham Construction to deliver the multi-phase project while the school remains operational.
As one of the city’s most sustainable education facilities, the new-look building will be carbon neutral, aligning with the council’s ambition to reach net zero by 2030.
The first phase to be handed over includes 11 newly refurbished classrooms, a modernised library and the completion of a new energy centre, which allows the school to run on air source heat pumps instead of gas, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
The next phase, starting after the October break, will see the delivery of a new gym hall, kitchen, staff areas and toilets. The final stage is scheduled for early 2026 and will complete the remaining staff facilities, reception, offices and classrooms for P1 and P2 pupils, with external works progressing alongside each phase.
Once complete, the project will provide a three-storey tower with 12 classrooms and a single-storey block with eight classrooms, administration offices, amenity space and an infant block. Improvements include new cladding, replacement windows, upgraded accessibility with new ramps and photovoltaic panels to generate renewable electricity.
Deborah Lee, principal teacher at Brunstane Primary School, said: "The new classrooms are a positive step forward, bringing P3-P7 learners back under one roof where they can truly make the new classrooms their own, creating a sense of pride and shared respect for the space.”