The city of Edinburgh is on a mission to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 by implementing ambitious initiatives such as sustainable development, improved public transport and energy-efficient building upgrades.
As part of this, plans were instructed for the rebuild of Currie Community High School, making it the city’s first secondary school designed to meet Passivhaus standards. This is part of a wider programme as set out by the City of Edinburgh Council, where 35 new schools are in the pipeline for construction under a net zero school design.
Structural Thermal Breaks for Passivhaus School Design
In order for the secondary school to achieve Passivhaus status, it must have a high performance building design, where energy efficiency is a priority and heating demand is minimised by at least 90%. Working in collaboration with Architype and Goodson Associates on the project, Armatherm™ was specified to support in helping the project achieve Passivhaus status by combatting thermal bridging.
How Armatherm 500 Supports Steel-to-Concrete Connections
Tasked with enhancing the building envelope performance and improving the school building’s energy efficiency, our Armatherm™ 500 thermal break material was installed between the concrete pad foundations and steel framework. This is because of the high conductivity between the steel-to-concrete connections allowing for the easy transfer of heat.
Armatherm™ 500 was specified for this particular project because of its low thermal conductivity, load-bearing capacity and ability to reinforce the continuous insulation of the building, therefore reducing the risk of heat loss.
Improving Building Envelope Performance in Net Zero Schools
Implementing structural thermal breaks are vital to Passivhaus construction and the wider aims of reaching net zero. This is because they isolate the weak areas in the building envelope, restricting the movement of heat and instead improve the overall performance of the building. By combatting thermal bridging in construction, it is a vital step towards reaching net zero targets and meeting these Passivhaus standards.
Reducing Thermal Bridging in High Performance Education Buildings
Currie Community High School officially opened its doors in late 2025 and takes a contemporary approach with its facilities. In addition to its high performance building design, the new school is a hub for wellness for the wider society to enjoy as well as a collaborative learning environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because of the high conductivity of steel and concrete, it is essential these connections are thermally isolated to reduce the movement of heat.
New school developments are typically constructed from steel framework due to its durability, however they tend to be susceptible to thermal bridging occurring. Installing Armatherm™ 500 in these areas means that the building is at less risk of heat loss, condensation issues and instead improves the structural integrity of the building.
They isolate the weak spots in the building envelope where thermal bridging can occur and instead help work towards continuous insulation. This then improves the overall performance of the structure because there isn’t a need for an overconsumption of energy to keep the building at a consistent temperature.
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