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| Topping out ceremony held at Dumbarton Academy A topping out ceremony has been held to mark the completion of the exterior of the new £15.5 million Dumbarton Academy building. Work on the school has progressed well despite the difficult winter conditions and BAM Construction is still on target to meet the planned opening in mid-August 2013. Attention will now turn to finishing off the internal features such as the bright classrooms designed to meet every requirement of modern teaching. The state-of-the-art school will cater for up to 700 pupils and also offer a dramatic theatre and modern library. BAM Construction has used precast concrete to build the school instead of steel and brick. As well as increasing the quality of the structure this has also saved time and enabled the school to be built in just 60 weeks - two and half months quicker than normal. Once complete the site will also include a 'Walk of Life' timeline of the school's history etched into the path leading to the entrance; a fitness trail around the playground featuring outdoor gym equipment; a music garden outdoor performance area with seating for 30-40 people, and a school garden offering outdoor dining areas. There will also be two flood-lit all-weather pitches, a grass pitch and a 100m running track. The Scottish Futures Trust manages the £1.25 billion Scotland's Schools for the Future programme on behalf of the Scottish Government, and is committing more than £10 million towards the Dumbarton Academy project. The balance is coming from West Dunbartonshire Council. Grant Robertson from the Scottish Futures Trust, added: 'When it opens in just a few months time, Dumbarton Academy will be a modern, state-of-the-art school, built to provide pupils and teachers alike with a teaching environment suitable for today's modern curriculum.' write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Construction News :: home page |