AHR's Passivhaus schools campus in Dunfermline named Sustainability Project of the Year

Woodmill and St Columba's RC High School, the Passivhaus campus in Dunfermline designed by AHR for Fife Council, has won Sustainability Project of the Year at the Learning Places Scotland Conference, Exhibition and Awards, the practice announced today.

AHR describes the building as the world's largest Passivhaus-certified education building. It said the school used 48% less energy in its first year, cut its energy bills by £433,392 and performed about 20% better than its original energy performance target.

The campus brings Woodmill High School and St Columba's RC High School into one building while each school runs separately and keeps its own identity, AHR said. The practice's architecture, landscape, interior and Passivhaus teams all worked on the project.

Jim Ward, Regional Director at BAM, which built the school, said when the first-year figures were released in January: "These figures prove without doubt that Passivhaus works at scale."

The design

AHR said the design worked to Passivhaus standards and the Scottish Futures Trust's Energy in Use requirements, with insulation, airtightness and triple glazing used to retain heat and keep temperatures comfortable, and solar shading to support comfort through the year.

The practice put the building's airtightness at 0.45 air changes per hour against the Passivhaus requirement of 0.6. The Passivhaus Trust's project record gives the same 0.45 figure. BAM's July 2025 release recorded the result as 0.45 m3/(hr-m3) at 50Pa, while its January 2026 release gave 0.4 air changes per hour.

AHR gives the campus floor area as 26,666 sq m in its award announcement, although its own project page lists 26,999 sq m. The Passivhaus Trust records a combined treated floor area of 23,151 sq m, a separate Passivhaus measure.

Capacity is also reported differently. AHR says the campus provides for 2,450 pupils and staff, with its project page listing 2,450 pupil places, while BAM says the building serves 2,700 students.

Paul Gallacher, Lead officer at Fife Council, said: "AHR worked closely with us throughout the project, ensuring that our vision was realised in every aspect of the design."

The energy data

AHR published the first-year performance figures on 19 February 2026 in an article by Jamie Gregory, Associate Director, Architecture, who was Passivhaus designer on the project. BAM had reported the same first-year figures on 26 January 2026.

BAM, which holds a three-year facilities management contract with Fife Council for the building, said a digital twin and building management system collect data from 150 metering points every 30 minutes.

Project history

According to hub East Central Scotland, BAM Construction started work on the school buildings in September 2021 and completed them in summer 2024. AHR's project page lists the client as Fife Council and Hub, with novation to BAM.

Hub East Central Scotland said pupils have used the building since August 2024 and that First Minister John Swinney MSP officially opened the schools at Dunfermline Learning Campus on 18 December 2024. BAM gives the opening as autumn 2024.

Fife Council Leader Cllr David Ross described the scheme as a £122 million investment, a figure hub East Central Scotland also uses. AHR's project page gives the value as £120m. Hub East Central Scotland said the campus was supported by more than £53 million of Scottish Government investment through the £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme.

AHR announced Passivhaus Classic certification for the school on 11 June 2025. The Passivhaus Trust lists the certifier as WARM and the certification as Passivhaus Classic, 2025; BAM's July 2025 release attributed the certification to the Passivhaus Institute.

AHR said the project was one of the first construction projects to apply the Scottish Futures Trust's new Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard.

The Passivhaus Trust lists the two schools as the first certified Passivhaus secondary schools in Scotland.