August 4 2023

East Lothian Council has awarded planning consent for a 'makerspace' at an independent Dunbar school to encourage creativity among pupils.

Belhaven Hill School has enlisted Michael Laird Architects to fashion the dedicated space, the first element of a larger creative courtyard, employing a palette of dark metal and treated timber. The simple rectangular form employs a tapered roof to add visual interest and frame a central outdoor space, housing two classrooms accessed from an entrance lobby.

In a statement, the architects wrote: "The Makerspace has been designed to inspire the pupils and encourage creativity within the school environment. Using a simple but high-quality palette of materials of dark metal and treated timber cladding with aluc-clad timber windows, the design is conceived as a simple rectangular mass with a pitched, tapered roof to maximise visual interest and minimise maintenance issues."

Later phases include the upgrade and extension of an existing sports hall and the replacement of temporary structures with permanent classrooms.

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