Moray Council’s Building for Learning PPP programme have appointed Aedas, via the International Public Partnerships Consortium, as the architect for its £40M project which includes new schools for Elgin Academy and Keith Primary School and the replacement of its existing facilities.  The new facilities will give the area some of the most modern schools in the country, together with a range of new sports and recreational facilities for the community. 

Bill Imlach, Managing Director of Stewart Milne Construction – the Design and Build contractor, commented:  "We have been working very closely with Aedas throughout the procurement process for this project to ensure that what we will ultimately deliver is exactly what the Council wants. There is no doubt that their approach has made a very positive contribution to where we are today and we are confident that the combined team will continue to work successfully in partnership to complete two very high quality new schools for the Moray area."

With an award-winning portfolio in the education sector, Aedas is well positioned to deliver improved facilities to the area.  Its designs for the new buildings will create a sense of place for students and community and will offer elements that will distinguish their separate uses.

Aedas Director Richard Blair noted “This is a very important project for Aedas and we took all measures to ensure the process would be seamless.  From the onset of the project, we made certain the consultation, design and presentation of bid documents was the best our team and assessors had seen and have followed through the meticulous process to provide successful schools for both Keith and Elgin.”

“We are pleased that the project has achieved its objectives thus far by being on time and in budget whilst fully taking on board the aspirations of the Moray Council in their desire to see new buildings on the sites which were not materially affected by what was there already.”

Elgin Academy’s new facility responds to the existing vernacular of the area and will offer a two-storey building that blends with the parkland site.  The plan integrates the entire school community within one building and addresses previous circulation issues by integrating a racetrack plan which will increase the flow of traffic.  Keith Primary School, which currently operates on split sites a short distance apart, will also increase its circulation and will bring all nursery and primary pupils into one building, within one site.  Along with Elgin Academy, the two buildings have been designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Very Good rating.  The current junior school site, with its existing building, will be retained for separate disposal by the Council.

The Moray schools will be the first in Scotland to be designed with Revit.  This cutting-edge technology creates a 3D design model from early conceptual design stages all the way through construction and beyond.  This modelling process has provided Aedas with the ability to make better informed decisions about solar design, material usage in the context of likely building performance.

Completion of Keith Primary School is expected in October 2011, while Elgin Academy is due for completion in February 2012.