Holmes Miller Champions Sustainable Timber Design at New Kirkliston Early Learning Annex
The new £9m Early Learning and Childcare Annex at Kirkliston Primary School marks another milestone in Holmes Miller’s growing portfolio of sustainable education projects, where structural timber plays a key role in creating thoughtful, low-carbon environments.
Commissioned by the City of Edinburgh Council and delivered in collaboration with principal contractor Tilbury Douglas, this new single-storey building provides much-needed additional space for the growing school roll. It stands as the latest in a series of Holmes Miller projects harnessing the potential of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam, reaffirming the practice’s commitment to low-carbon, high-impact educational design.
Arranged around an L-shaped layout, the annex comprises two distinct wings—one for Nursery and the other for Primary 1—joined by a shared dining hall. Recessed canopies, framed by timber colonnades, define the building’s key entrances and offer sheltered transitional spaces that encourage movement between indoors and out, while helping to mitigate solar heat gain. Designed with future adaptability in mind, the building can be extended westward to accommodate further growth, ensuring long-term resilience.
A key feature of the scheme is its carefully curated landscape. A stream harvesting rainwater from the roof, mud kitchens, and dedicated growing areas support outdoor learning and environmental awareness. Exposed glulam columns and visible CLT structures introduce a natural warmth and calm to interior spaces creating a nurturing, engaging setting for early years education.
“The plan was developed in close consultation with the school to reflect its real operational needs,” said John Burns, Associate at Holmes Miller. “From the mirrored 50/50 nurseries—connected by a bespoke, child-accessible kitchen—to the open-plan Primary 1 wing designed to ease the transition from nursery, every aspect supports a fluid, child-centred learning experience.”
Sustainability is embedded throughout. The building is designed to Passivhaus principles, with a high-performance envelope and enhanced airtightness—enabled by the use of CLT wall panels—significantly reducing heat loss. A mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system further boosts energy efficiency. The extensive use of CLT and glulam not only reduces embodied carbon but showcases how structure and sustainability can work hand-in-hand to enrich the learning environment.
The Kirkliston annex joins other recent Holmes Miller projects, such as the Sciennes Primary School Extension in Edinburgh and Buntingford First School in Hertfordshire, in demonstrating the practice’s leadership in timber-led school design.
“As a practice, we’re passionate about how natural materials can positively impact learning spaces,” Burns added. “The Kirkliston project is a great example of how low-carbon design doesn’t mean compromising on quality or creativity—it means delivering something both beautiful and responsible.”
