High School Yards Teaching Centre

Ross Ellis Stewart led the transformation of a former nursery school on the University of Edinburgh campus into the High School Yards Teaching Centre, providing versatile, student-centered teaching spaces that blend functionality with sustainability.

Adaptive Reuse for Modern Education

The project reimagined the historic building to meet the needs of contemporary teaching and learning. Key features include:

• Four flexible teaching rooms grouped around a central courtyard, designed to maximize natural light and ventilation.

• The ability to convert rooms into blackout spaces for presentations, enhancing versatility.

• A new entrance and breakout/study area, connecting the building to the historic quadrangle and improving accessibility.

Collaborative and Sustainable Design

The design supports dynamic learning and sustainability:

• Reconfigurable furniture allows rooms to shift seamlessly between lecture setups and group discussion formats.

• An outdoor classroom with tiered timber seating, crafted from the former playground, encourages open-air learning and collaboration.

• Connection to the University’s district heating system, replacing outdated oil-fired heating, significantly improved the building’s environmental performance.

  
  

A Learning Space Rooted in Heritage and Innovation

The High School Yards Teaching Centre demonstrates how thoughtful reuse of historic structures can deliver modern, adaptable, and sustainable educational environments while maintaining a connection to the building’s past.