Forfar Community Campus
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Summary
Brand new facilities for the community
The new Forfar Community Campus provides facilities that replace the existing Forfar Academy, Lochside Leisure Centre and Forfar swimming pool, as well as providing community facilities and accommodation for adult learning and youth activities.
A suite of new facilities in Forfar
Forfar Community Campus was an ambitious and complex project that brought fantastic facilities to the town. The new Campus replaces the outdated Forfar Academy, Lochside leisure centre and the historic Forfar swimming pool.
The first phase of construction included the campus building itself, which provides education for 1270 secondary school pupils on the north-east side of the existing school grounds, with a car park and the initial artificial sports pitches in phase two.
In addition to the provision for secondary education, it has a performance space and accommodation for adult learning and youth activities that will benefit the wider community.
The finished Community Campus includes sports facilities comprising a six-lane, 25 metre swimming pool, sports hall, fitness gym, dance studio, all weather pitches and grass pitches.
This DBFM project was led by hub East Central Scotland in partnership with Robertson Tayside and the Scottish Futures Trust, with investment from Robertson Capital Projects and long-term lifecycle maintenance from Robertson Facilities Management. The team also includes JM Architects, Fairhurst (civil & structural engineers), Hulley & Kirkwood (building services), Kirk & Marsh (CDMC) and BRE Scotland (BREEAM assessors).
Robertson Specialist Division provided insulated render that will help to minimise future energy costs.
Involving local people in the build
During the build, 16 young people from the local area got the chance to see the development at close quarters through the Future Starts programme, a joint initiative by Robertson and the Prince's Trust. Aspiring young builders got a taste of what it is like to work on site, trying bricklaying and joinery.
A public engagement event at the town's Reid Hall offered walk-in sessions so that local people could learn more about the project, including the campus design and plans, and transport routes.
They were able to contribute ideas to the ethos, values and activities at the facility, for example members of the public attending the event were encouraged to contribute old photographs and stories that were used to create a 'memory lane' at the new campus.
