Fleming and East Ayrshire Council are celebrating national recognition after its pioneering refurbishment of St Sophia’s Primary School in Galston, East Ayrshire, was shortlisted in two categories at the Learning Places Scotland Awards 2026.
The landmark project has been recognised in both the Refurbishment of the Year and Sustainability Project of the Year categories, reflecting the project’s role in setting new standards for sustainable school refurbishment.
Held in partnership with the Scottish Government, the Learning Places Scotland Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and best practice across the education sector. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Tuesday 3 November at the Hilton Glasgow.
The double shortlist adds to the growing list of accolades for the project, which made history as the UK’s first educational facility to achieve the internationally recognised EnerPHit certification. The Passivhaus standard for energy retrofits of existing buildings, EnerPHit represents one of the most demanding benchmarks for sustainable refurbishment, requiring exceptional performance in airtightness, insulation, ventilation and thermal efficiency.
Delivered by Fleming on behalf of East Ayrshire Council, the ambitious transformation has demonstrated how existing school buildings can be successfully adapted to meet the highest environmental standards, overcoming the challenges of working with an existing building while creating healthier, more comfortable spaces for pupils and staff.
With PHPP used throughout design and delivery, alongside WUFI and THERM modelling, the fabric strategy was key: a continuous thermal envelope with thermal bridges designed out or accounted for, airtightness, high-performance triple glazing and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR).
The refurbishment not only significantly reduced the school’s energy demand but also enhanced the internal learning environment and extended the life of the existing building, providing a blueprint for future education retrofit projects as local authorities continue to decarbonise their estates.
Euan McDermott, Associate Director at Fleming, said: “To have St Sophia’s Primary School shortlisted in two categories at the Learning Places Scotland Awards is a fantastic achievement and one that reflects the commitment, expertise and collaboration shown by everyone involved in the project.
“Achieving the UK’s first EnerPHit-certified school was a significant milestone, demonstrating what can be accomplished when ambitious sustainability goals are matched with technical excellence and a genuinely collaborative approach. We are incredibly proud to see the project recognised in this way and look forward to celebrating with our client and project partners in November.”
Completed in 2025, St Sophia’s Primary School has become a benchmark for sustainable educational refurbishment, demonstrating how existing buildings can be transformed to meet demanding environmental targets while delivering lasting benefits for the communities they serve.
The Learning Places Scotland Awards shortlist further reinforces the project’s significance as a leading example of innovation, collaboration and excellence in sustainable construction.
