The accreditation is the highest standard awarded and has been secured by only three buildings in the Scottish further and higher education sector.

BREEAM is a tool to assess and measure projects across against a broad range of criteria which cover aspects from energy to ecology. BREEAM measures how sustainability has being built into the overall design, construction and operation of buildings.

College principal Heather Dunk said: “We are delighted that the new Kilmarnock campus has achieved a BREEAM Outstanding award surpassing the specification requirement of an Excellent rating at design stage.

“It is important that this stunning, state of the art campus not only benefits students and local businesses and communities now, but that it continues to contribute positively for generations to come.”

Some of the key elements in the College’s project which contributed to securing BREEAM accreditation are: 600kw biomass boiler, 330sqm photovoltiac panels, high efficiency cooling system and optimisation of natural daylight.

The introduction of such technologies will create a number of exciting learning opportunities for students and help raise awareness of sustainability in design.