There is a continuous requirement in the Education sector to achieve cost efficiencies and value for money whilst maintaining high standards of education attainment and providing for new ways of learning.
View ServiceFife College Dunfermline Learning Campus: Scotland’s First Net Zero Public Sector Building Nears Completion
Fife College's new Dunfermline Learning Campus is the first built to Scottish Government's Net Zero Public Sector Building Standards, setting new sustainable development benchmarks.
Scheduled to open in autumn 2025, the state-of-the-art campus has already made waves in the construction and public sectors. As an SFT (Scottish Futures Trust) Pathfinder project, it has recently achieved independent verification for both its embodied and whole life carbon assessments, placing it at the forefront of sustainable infrastructure.
With an embodied carbon footprint of just over 560kg CO₂e/m² for the main building (the teaching block), and an average of 601kg CO₂e/m² across all three new buildings, the project has outperformed its target of 650kg CO₂e/m². These results make the Dunfermline Learning Campus Scotland’s first net zero-ready tertiary education facility, attracting attention as a model for future public sector buildings.
Central to this achievement is the implementation of innovative low-carbon construction methods. Concrete floor slabs were replaced by Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) planks and Delta Beams made from 95% recycled steel, significantly reducing concrete usage in the superstructure and foundations. This forward-thinking design approach resulted in a 20% reduction in embodied carbon compared to traditional developments of similar scale.
As a proud signatory of the Race to Zero initiative, Fife College has demonstrated its commitment to climate action in alignment with the IPCC’s 1.5°C global warming target. The Dunfermline Learning Campus represents a landmark moment in that journey.
Fife College appointed Gardiner & Theobald to deliver full Project Management, Employer’s Agent and Cost Management services for this landmark development. The project is a collaborative venture between Fife College, Fife Council and key partners to co-locate St Columba’s RC High School, Woodmill High School and the College’s Halbeath Campus to a unified 58-acre purpose-built site.
The new campus will provide cutting-edge facilities including industry-standard workshops, centres of excellence for Engineering, Construction, Built Environment and Sport, conference and innovation hubs and extensive outdoor learning spaces.
The Dunfermline Learning Campus can be seen to redefine what’s possible in sustainable building for the public sector.