Orbiston

Designing a Community Hub That Extends Learning Beyond the Classroom

Orbiston Community Hub is a £30m, 5,750 sqm educational and community facility delivered by Keppie for North Lanarkshire Council via hub South West between 2021 and 2025.

Developed as part of the Council’s wider regeneration programme, the project represents a shift from delivering traditional school buildings towards creating flexible community hubs that support education, wellbeing and long-term social value.

Following completion of a feasibility study for Sacred Heart and Lawmuir Primary Schools, Keppie was appointed to provide architectural services for the new facility. The ambition was to create a welcoming, future-focused environment that combines education, community use and sustainability within a single integrated destination.

This project demonstrates Keppie’s partnership-led approach to creating educational environments that deliver measurable environmental performance, long-term social value and outcomes that extend beyond the building itself.

Designing with the Community, not just for the Community

Central to the project was an extensive four-month Intelligent Briefing process designed around co-design and stakeholder engagement.
Through a series of in-person and virtual events, Keppie engaged with pupils, parents, staff, local groups and residents to establish the project brief, define strategic priorities and shape a shared vision for the new Community Hub.

This collaborative approach transformed engagement into delivery intelligence—ensuring the final solution responded directly to local needs while creating long-term ownership, reducing delivery risk and establishing a clear foundation for success.

The resulting building balances openness and accessibility with the operational and safeguarding requirements expected within an educational environment.

Creating Flexible Learning and Community Spaces

Orbiston Community Hub accommodates approximately 694 pupils across Sacred Heart and Lawmuir Primary Schools while extending its value to the wider community. The building combines dedicated class bases and activity learning zones with shared facilities including:

• E-learning spaces
• Multi-purpose learning environments
• Dining facilities
• PE and drama spaces
•  Family learning provision
• Community spaces and services

Characterful spaces such as the Tree House and Rainbow Garden introduce opportunities for creativity, exploration and alternative modes of learning.

Flexible shared areas adjacent to classrooms support team teaching, collaboration and more personalised educational experiences, while outdoor play and landscape spaces extend learning beyond the building itself.

By co-locating education and community services, the Hub also supports stronger partnerships, smoother transitions and greater long-term social impact.

Delivering Sustainable Educational Design

Sustainability was embedded from the earliest stages of the project.

Working closely with North Lanarkshire Council, Keppie developed an approach aligned with the Council’s ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

Drawing on accredited Passivhaus expertise, the design adopted a fabric-first strategy supported by parametric analysis to optimise building form, orientation and environmental performance.

Compared with the previous school buildings, the new Community Hub is projected to achieve:

• Up to 90% reduction in carbon emissions
• Up to 60% reduction in energy consumption
• Estimated carbon savings of 102 tonnes

A Community Hub Designed for Long-Term Impact

Orbiston Community Hub demonstrates how meaningful engagement, integrated design and sustainability can create educational environments that deliver more than learning alone.  Early feedback highlights increased pride, stronger collaboration and a renewed sense of identity among pupils, staff and the wider community.

The project establishes a scalable model for future educational and community developments—demonstrating how grounded thinking, collaborative delivery and measurable outcomes can transform a single investment into lasting educational, environmental and civic value.