Fettes College School Building Edinburgh

Fettes College School Edinburgh Building Photos, Scottish Sixth Form Centre Design, Craigleith House Location

Fettes College Edinburgh

Sixth Form Centre & Residence in Southeast Scotland building design by Page / Park Architects.

post updated 24 October 2023

Fettes College – New prep school building : scroll to base of page.

Fettes College School
photograph © Adrian Welch 2008

New Fettes College Sixth Form Building – Craigleith House
Dates: 2006-07
Design: Page / Park Architects, based in Glasgow, Scotland

Fettes College School Fettes College School Fettes College School
photos © Keith Hunter Nov07

Fettes College School

The challenge: to design the only mixed-sex school boarding house in Scotland, UK.

Distinctive linked pair of curved blocks, focused on a vescis-shaped communal core. The female and male blocks are accessed from a central space but carefully controlled, with staff based in opposing corners of the buildings. The link bridge above allow staff to control either block.

Fettes College School Fettes College School Fettes College School
photos © Keith Hunter Nov07

The curved blocks are staggered east-west in plan (like the Gemini symbol) to increase access to light and views. Their inner faces are serrated to provide privacy. The feeling is more like an Oxbridge hall of residence than a typical school boarding house. The intimate feel of the space and avoidance of orthogonal form reminded me of MacCormac Jamieson Prichard’s various Oxbridge buildings, especially their work at Trinity College Cambridge. The serrated concept allowing a combination of views and privacy is reminiscent of David Robert’s beautiful buildings at Jesus College Cambridge, or to a lesser extent James Stirling’s halls at St Andrews.

Fettes College School Fettes College School Fettes College School
photos © Keith Hunter Nov07

The resultant form, with jagged zinc internal facades, is almost like a cracked crystal, with hard smooth stone on the outside and crystalline form exposed internally. The quality of the work by Kier we viewed at the opening was excellent and the pupils certainly appeared to be more than happy with the building on our tour.

David Page pointed out that, as per the original concept, the tower of David Bryce’s building can be viewed from the public side of Craigleith House through the tight gap between the boys and girls dorms.

Fettes College School Fettes College School Fettes College School
images © Adrian Welch 011007

Fettes College Sixth Form Building Information:
Cost: £7.9m
Contractor: Kier Scotland
Height: four storeys
Facilities: 96 study bedrooms + staff accommodation + communal facilities at ground level
Area: 4,400sqm

Fettes College School architects : Page / Park, Glasgow

Fettes College School Fettes College School Fettes College School
images © Adrian Welch 290907

Jenners

Fettes Row Edinburgh

Fettes College : main page re old building

Donaldsons College

Fettes College School Fettes College School Fettes College School
photos © Adrian Welch, 2007

David Bryce (born 1801) was famous for his Scottish Baronial country houses. He originally worked for architect William Burn

Fettes College Prep School

Fettes College School Fettes College School Fettes College School
photos © Adrian Welch, 2008

East Fettes Avenue

Edinburgh School Buildings

Edinburgh Education Property Developments – a recent selection on this website:

Trinity Academy Edinburgh secondary school building, Victoria Park conservation area, Trinity, north of Edinburgh
Design: Holmes Miller Architects
Trinity Academy Edinburgh school building design
image courtesy of Holmes Miller
Trinity Academy Edinburgh secondary school

Sciennes Primary School Edinburgh building – the first Scottish Passivhaus primary school to use CLT structure
Sciennes Primary School Edinburgh building
photo © Chris Humphreys
Sciennes Primary School Edinburgh Building

Scottish Architect including David Bryce.

Buildings / photos for the Fettes College Edinburgh Architecture building design by Page / Park Architects page welcome.