Levenmouth Campus
Fife, UK
Services
Sectors
People
project overview
Supporting young people and their career aspirations at all levels
Levenmouth Campus answers the call for an innovative yet simple campus with a STEM focus, recognising the importance of better skills for the local community, to promote and offer skills pathways for future jobs.
Paving the way for cultural change, the new campus merges the existing Buckhaven High School with Kirkland High School and Community College. Sitting alongside a new Fife College building, the campus provides an environmentally friendly solution to the brief.
Community engagement was vital to the success of the project, introducing integrated curriculum opportunities to help young people coming through secondary school on the same campus.
project aims
Connecting the school back to the local community
Sitting in the shadow of large scale engineering plants, the local education was unable to provide the community with the necessary skills required to work in that industry.
Fife College in partnership with Fife Council, formed a strategic framework to improve the standard of education in Methil and Buckhaven, through the creation of a new education campus.
Integral to the ethos of the new school was the ambition to build on the established reputation and history of the old schools, but moving forward with a new joint identity and a building that the community deserved.
This provided an opportunity to pilot a new model of integrated secondary education, with further education, and providing greater employability for students and local businesses.
Driven by a desire to re-engage with the local community, we undertook detailed consultation. The project involved the merger of two very different and separate secondary schools, with long term historic rivalries. We brought all stakeholders together to create positive relationship between the schools and communities, showing the benefits to be gained from a new joint learning campus.
![AHR-School-College-Levenmouth-Campus-Architecture-Exterior4-Scotland](https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_343.jpg?w=800&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=39fdd080658f0aad307368229234c8ae 800w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_343.jpg?w=1100&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=bc783473e79e16b834d55c1aaaf30da6 1100w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_343.jpg?w=1300&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=66001425db59a132ea39dfafec2983a1 1300w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_343.jpg?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=402df093eac5ee6a793413d5a0eaa9e3 1600w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_343.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=114a7e3b1e17fa8aa0caba9e2bfed1f3 1920w)
The new Levenmouth Academy building is helping us to give our children the best education.
It’s an exciting environment to work in, for all of us. The building itself is inspiring and innovative but above all functional which means we can get on with our jobs knowing that we have everything we need to help us to do that. At the school we are determined to deliver excellence and equity for the learners in our community. We are all so lucky to have been given this opportunity and we are very grateful for it. The children are proud of their school and we are proud of them.”
Ronnie Ross
Headteacher, Levenmouth Academy![AHR-School-College-Levenmouth-Campus-Architecture-Interior4-Scotland](https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_354.jpg?w=650&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=f3b825cb1b998435bc7e4103dad2db66)
campus design
Bringing together the school and wider community
Landscape design
Enhancing the educational experience
The integrated landscape design provides an inside outside connection with a social courtyard at the heart of the campus. With the Levenmouth strategic masterplan in mind, the front elevation has been brought back from the street to create the entrance plaza, connecting both new college and school facilities back to the community.
The external spaces have been designed to blend the building into the natural landscape whilst supporting classroom activities and providing for sport and recreation. Pedestrians are guided towards the building along tree boulevards, native hedge rows and shrub planted beds set within vast open natural landscape. The main entrance on Methilhaven Road is formally landscaped with the use of high quality landscape material whilst being embellished with mature trees creating a public realm frontage to the building.
The grass sports fields merge with playground spaces introducing a strong soft element close to the building. Nearby social spaces provide informal spaces for seating and socialising. Feathered tree planting introduce informal planting arrangements through the grass and bermed shrub planting creating a sculptural effect in the landscape spatially organising the site into outdoor classrooms, art displays and performance zones.
![AHR-School-College-Levenmouth-Campus-Architecture-Exterior3-Scotland](https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_329.jpg?w=800&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=f18bd98aa7f420fd40167f79a7688d61 800w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_329.jpg?w=1100&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=7373fc98d3e879b21adba2c25ee88d77 1100w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_329.jpg?w=1300&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=03eb76be0635faf1b6d0c20a2020bb75 1300w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_329.jpg?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=f55ae727692f21b648859167899ea279 1600w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Levenmouth-Academy/2013_00343_000_329.jpg?w=1920&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015748&s=16b0e38d7c90ae4962d3975ba9c2c798 1920w)
Sustainable design
An exemplar of sustainable project delivery
By providing a single, more energy efficient building, we rationalised the school estate footprint, reducing ongoing operating costs. We achieved a ‘Platinum Standard’ sustainability level, measured against Fife Council’s own ‘Sustainability Checklist targets and aspirations, with core hour energy use (57 kWh/m2) considerably less than the requirements Scottish Government’s target of 67 kWh/ m2.
key information
Project summary
Location
Levenmouth, K78 1EA
Client
Fife Council
Completion
2016
Value
£39m
Environment
Fife’s Sustainably Checklist Platinum Standard
Size
23,000 m2
Includes
1,800 pupil spaces
Awards
Making Space Learning Award 2016 Shortlisted
Team
Meet the team behind the project
Contact
Interested in
learning more?
Learn more about 'Levenmouth Campus' and other projects by reaching out to one of our team
Get in touchRelated Projects
![Madras College](https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Madras-College/MCSA-0622-0074.jpg?w=100&h=75&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015764&s=1c4894be8a57dab70235e031ffc00327 100w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Madras-College/MCSA-0622-0074.jpg?w=400&h=300&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015764&s=0ef993ef9de80c022cf65f2c884ef8d9 400w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Madras-College/MCSA-0622-0074.jpg?w=600&h=450&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015764&s=73a888a07d9fbdeaa2e6911ffd63c160 600w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Madras-College/MCSA-0622-0074.jpg?w=800&h=600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015764&s=e11476f449cf028d0d9976396af8f1a4 800w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Madras-College/MCSA-0622-0074.jpg?w=1000&h=750&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015764&s=6be43cbc585306884b2ecd9697d47bbd 1000w)
Madras College
Designed for 1,450 pupils, it accommodates the needs of everyone. Providing safe and flexible education spaces, it is a major centre of learning for pupils, staff and the wider community.
![Darwen Aldridge Community Academy](https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Darwen-Academy/2004_02263_000_1185.jpg?w=100&h=75&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015584&s=d92a3570b44007c7ad50d9ae1886752d 100w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Darwen-Academy/2004_02263_000_1185.jpg?w=400&h=300&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015584&s=5c8aaa543d5fbef09902140c1019b0dd 400w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Darwen-Academy/2004_02263_000_1185.jpg?w=600&h=450&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015584&s=d3f57d778e8f4007a9a03e21f0837382 600w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Darwen-Academy/2004_02263_000_1185.jpg?w=800&h=600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015584&s=c405dd05f4bcccd26e81d9b765c5bfd6 800w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/Darwen-Academy/2004_02263_000_1185.jpg?w=1000&h=750&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015584&s=a409e9e662ed90982264d999ade2f78e 1000w)
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy
The 1600-place academy is a place where children can realise their full potential and use the specialism of Social Entrepreneurship as the vehicle to enable this.
![David Livingstone Memorial Primary School](https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/David-Livingstone-Memorial-Primary-School/2009_01377_000_117.jpg?w=100&h=75&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015586&s=695df9a0cf3d7b0ac9203b449967c8fe 100w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/David-Livingstone-Memorial-Primary-School/2009_01377_000_117.jpg?w=400&h=300&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015586&s=f7af0501a7e038f905461c934c81acfa 400w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/David-Livingstone-Memorial-Primary-School/2009_01377_000_117.jpg?w=600&h=450&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015586&s=498c3ffa39dd63a3cf100ea140f6ccf5 600w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/David-Livingstone-Memorial-Primary-School/2009_01377_000_117.jpg?w=800&h=600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015586&s=33090ed2c005d4d095d062a7d4aff4c3 800w, https://ahr-website.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/uploads/Projects/David-Livingstone-Memorial-Primary-School/2009_01377_000_117.jpg?w=1000&h=750&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&dm=1684015586&s=c7f7257ddbfaef447d7b4b444b668ee8 1000w)
David Livingstone Memorial Primary School
The school is designed with the idea of a ‘green heart’, taking advantage of its south facing aspect.