Woolgar Hunter made the revelation as the country marks Scotland’s Climate Week (25 September – 1 October 2023), an annual event that encourages individuals, communities and businesses to come together to show support for tackling the climate emergency.

The scale of the College’s new campus means this new green approach has saved about 25% of the embodied carbon normally expected in a structure of this size.

The campus, due to open in 2025, is using a unique cross-laminated timber (CLT) as well as 95% recycled steel beams to achieve this saving. The measures were designed with structural engineer Woolgar Hunter.

Malcolm Buchanan, director at Woolgar Hunter, said: “By implementing these sustainability measures, such as the CLT/steel hybrid construction design, we are very confident that this building, which is an ambitious building and an ambitious architectural design, can hit Scottish government carbon targets.”

Fife College principal Jim Metcalfe said: “Throughout the construction of the new campus, we have had a full commitment to the very latest low-energy and net-zero processes.

“The innovative construction design has been a huge part of this and it is exciting to see it, and the many other carbon-reducing processes come to life during the build phase.”

“We believe that this approach will not only ensure we meet Scottish Government carbon targets but also make the campus, and in turn the wider Fife region, a beacon of best practice in low carbon and circular construction.