Clackmannanshire Wellbeing Hub & Lochies School

ECD Architects are proud to be working as Passivhaus Designers alongside jmarchitects and an expert consultant team on the pioneering Clackmannanshire Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School. This landmark £65m development, located just west of Alloa town centre, represents one of the most ambitious community projects in the region’s history, bringing together health, leisure, education, and community services under one roof.

At its heart lies the new Lochies School, a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide world-class learning environments for 54 pupils with severe and complex needs. Alongside this sits the inclusive Wellbeing Hub, which features swimming pools, fitness suites, a wellbeing park, hydrotherapy facilities, community spaces, and flexible rooms for cultural and social prescribing activities. Together, the school and hub are designed as a vibrant, holistic destination that promotes lifelong wellbeing, learning, and social connection.

As Passivhaus consultants, ECD Architects have been central to embedding the highest standards of energy performance and comfort into the design. Our role has included advising on building form, glazing ratios, solar shading, and intricate detailing, with every element rigorously tested through PHPP modelling. Given the complex mix of “wet” and “dry” zones across the scheme – from swimming pools and hydrotherapy spaces to classrooms and sports halls – we developed six tailored Passivhaus models in collaboration with the Passivhaus Certifier and the Passivhaus Institute. This bespoke approach ensures the building will meet certification standards while accommodating the unique climatic conditions of each zone.

Due for completion in 2027, the project will be one of the first large-scale leisure and education campuses in Scotland designed to Passivhaus standards, significantly reducing energy use and carbon emissions while ensuring comfort year-round. In doing so, it will play a key role in advancing Clackmannanshire Council’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2040.

Team:
Clackmannanshire Council – Client
Hub East Central Scotland – Procurement and Project Management
jmarchitects – Design Architects
Rankin Fraser – Landscape Architects
ECD Architects – Passivhaus Designers
Blyth & Blyth – Civil Structural Engineers
BakerHicks – M&E Engineers
Robertson Construction – Main Contractor

Images on behalf of jmarchitects.