Aberdeen schools revamped to ‘Scandinavian’ standards

04 March 2008

NYOP Education, an international consortium of Icelandic property and investment company, Nysir, UK FM company, Operon; and Danish construction company, Pihl & Son, has signed a £120m PPP for Aberdeen Schools’ 3Rs (Reorganise, Renovate and Rebuild) project.

NYOP Education will build nine new schools with another being completely revamped. The first new school is expected to open in Spring 2009 with the final one due to open in October 2010. The work on each of the schools will be done in phases with several schools being constructed simultaneously.

The initial phase will be funded by a PPP, using a non-profit distributing organisation (NPDO). The aim of the NPDO is to allow the stakeholders to have a say in the running of the project company, and to ensure that any profits are shared with the City Council and reinvested back into the community through gift aid donations to VSA (formerly Voluntary Service Aberdeen); Barnardos, Scotland; and the University of Aberdeen, which already have partnering arrangements with the Council.

Sigfus Jonsson, NYOP Education, said: “We have used an innovative funding mechanism for this scheme, which has provided considerable benefit. We look forward to being an active partner with Aberdeen City Council, financing, delivering and operating 21st Century schools with extensive community facilities.”

Martin Corbett, NYOP Education, added: ““The schools are being built to a high Scandinavian standard, with good insulation and low energy usage, and an Excellent BREEAM rating. The inherent structure of the buildings with no internal load-bearing walls, will also enable the buildings to be adapted with relative ease, thereby future-proofing them.”