Black Sand School
Shetland, Scotland2025Civic
- Overview
- Shetland is loud. The school is a quiet instrument: earth walls, felted interiors, and a roof playground that only opens when the wind meter allows.
- Client
- Shetland Islands Council
- Area
- 1,650 sq m
- Status
- Built
Replacing a 1970s school that leaked heat and sound, on an island with one hardware store and a winter barge schedule.
Prefabricated timber cassettes shipped in August, clad in local stone, and packed with down insulation donated by a neighboring farm. Windows are small, deep, and south-facing. The hall doubles as the island storm shelter.
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Civic Design Award shortlist, 2025. Energy use is 41% below the Scottish school average. Enrollment rose for the first time in twelve years.
Lead
Sarah Hall
Education brief
Shetland School Board
Prefabrication
Clara Timber