Education buildings are expected to do much more than provide classrooms.
Today's schools need to create inspiring learning environments, support local communities and help organisations meet ambitious sustainability goals. As estates continue to evolve, many local authorities are looking for facilities that deliver long term value while remaining adaptable for future generations.
Drumgeith Community Campus in Dundee demonstrates what this looks like in practice. Delivered by Robertson through Procurement Hub's Major Projects Framework, the development created a modern learning environment alongside community and sports facilities, providing a lasting investment for pupils, staff and the wider community.
Bringing Education and Communities Together
Modern education estates are increasingly designed to support more than teaching alone.
Drumgeith Community Campus brings together Greenfield Academy, Drumgeith Primary School, early years provision and community facilities within a single development, creating a shared environment that supports learning, wellbeing and local engagement.
By combining multiple services on one campus, the project provides facilities that can be used throughout the day by pupils, staff and the wider community, helping maximise the long term value of public investment.
What Was Delivered?
The development included:
A new secondary school
A new primary school
Early years facilities
Community facilities
Modern indoor and outdoor sports facilities
Landscaped external spaces
Supporting infrastructure and public realm improvements
Together, these facilities created a modern community campus designed to support education, wellbeing and community activity for many years to come.
Building for the Future
Sustainability was a key consideration throughout the project.
Designed to Passivhaus principles, the campus has been developed to achieve exceptionally high levels of energy efficiency while providing comfortable learning environments throughout the year.
The development also incorporates low carbon technologies and sustainable design features that will help reduce operational costs and environmental impact over its lifetime.
Projects like Drumgeith demonstrate how major capital investment can support both education outcomes and long term environmental ambitions.
Collaboration from the Outset
Large scale education projects rely on strong collaboration from the earliest stages.
Throughout the development, Robertson worked closely with Dundee City Council and the wider project team to refine designs, manage risk and ensure the project continued to meet operational, budget and programme requirements.
Early contractor involvement helped identify opportunities to improve buildability, support efficient delivery and maintain quality throughout construction.
This collaborative approach reflects the principles promoted through Procurement Hub's Major Projects Framework, where early engagement supports better project outcomes.
Delivering Social Value Beyond Construction
Alongside the new campus, the project created lasting benefits for the local community.
During construction, local businesses, apprentices and supply chain partners played an important role in delivery, helping maximise investment within the regional economy.
The project also supported education initiatives, careers activities and employment opportunities, ensuring the benefits of construction extended beyond the completed buildings.
By embedding social value throughout delivery, the development created positive outcomes for local people while supporting Dundee City Council's wider ambitions for the area.
"Drumgeith Community Campus demonstrates how education, sustainability and community investment can come together within a single development."
Recognition Through Collaborative Delivery
Drumgeith Community Campus has received national recognition for both its design and delivery.
The project demonstrates how collaborative procurement, early engagement and strong partnerships can deliver complex public sector developments that meet the needs of clients, building users and local communities alike.
It also highlights the growing importance of sustainability, quality and long term value within major public sector construction projects.
Accessing Expertise Through Major Projects Framework 2
Drumgeith Community Campus was delivered through Procurement Hub's previous Major Projects Framework.
Today, public sector organisations across Scotland can access Robertson through Procurement Hub's Major Projects Framework 2.
The framework provides a compliant route to market for major construction and infrastructure projects, supporting early contractor involvement, collaborative working and high quality project delivery.
Whether delivering new education facilities, community campuses or wider estate investment programmes, Major Projects Framework 2 helps organisations engage experienced delivery partners with confidence.
Looking Ahead
As education estates continue to evolve, organisations are looking for buildings that do more than meet today's requirements.
Projects such as Drumgeith Community Campus demonstrate how collaborative delivery, sustainable design and long term planning can create facilities that support learning, strengthen communities and provide lasting value from public investment.
For organisations planning future education projects, developments like this show what can be achieved when the right partners are involved from the very beginning.