A host of schools currently being built across Scotland are aiming to achieve Passivhaus standard, with many funded in part through the Learning Estates Investment Programme (LEIP). As one of the first recipients of funding, the £65m Currie is one of the country’s first schools to complete the assessment process. “A key element of the Passivhaus standard is airtightness,” said Cameron Galloway, Site Manager at Kier Construction. “The Proctor Group’s Wraptite membranes were key products for us.” A preliminary air test carried out in early 2025 achieved a result of 0.44 air changes per hour (ach) – standing the school in good stead to surpass the Passivhaus requirement of 0.6 ach.
Currie Community High School has been designed to provide 1,000 student places across three floors, with a focus on daylight, indoor air quality and healthy, natural materials, plus outdoor learning.
The community aspect of the project features amenities including a library, sensory garden and public allotments. As well as the comfort benefits that come from attaining Passivhaus accreditation, the building’s low energy performance is designed to contribute to the City of Edinburgh Council’s net zero goals.
Sport and leisure facilities on the site include a swimming pool, meaning the school has one of the few Passivhauscertified pools in the UK. While most of the high school is of steel frame construction, the pool hall uses a cross laminated timber (CLT) structure.
“We wanted to protect the timber kit as soon as possible,” said Galloway, “so for that part of the building we used Wraptite UV. It offered us a longer exposure time than the standard Wraptite, meaning we could complete that part of the building early on.” Wraptite UV is typically offered for use behind open-jointed cladding, but in this instance supported the specific goals of the project following advice from the Proctor Group technical team. Wraptite membrane was then used across the rest of the site. Both products offer airtightness and vapour permeability, helping to meet low energy goals without increasing the risk of condensation. The self-adhered nature of the two membranes creates a consistent airtight seal without the need for a primer, saving on labour and material costs.
Proctor Group’s support extended to being able to supply extra rolls of membrane at short notice when it became clear there wasn’t quite enough on site. “Using a local supply chain was to our advantage,” said Galloway.
For this project, he had a ‘mini’ steel frame sample built on site, using which the team could test interface details and carry out a few airtightness tests before installation started in earnest.
He said: “It was reassurance about what would work – for example, sticking the Wraptite to a roofing membrane. Working through these details acted as a sense check and helped us learn lessons.” proctorgroup.com