Glyn-coch Primary School and Community Hub | Rhondda Cynon Taf
When it opens in autumn 2026, the new English-medium primary school at Glyn-coch will be one of the most environmentally ambitious school buildings in the United Kingdom. Designed and built to Passivhaus standards, and targeting BREEAM Outstanding, the WELL Building Standard, Building with Nature accreditation, and zero carbon in operation, the school sets a new benchmark for what a learning environment can be: healthier for the children inside it, kinder to the climate, and more deeply embedded in the community it serves.
We are proud to be delivering this project for Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, working alongside architect Stride Treglown.
What we are building
The development will deliver a two-storey replacement school building on the existing Craig yr Hesg Primary School site and adjoining land, bringing together pupils from Cefn Primary and Craig yr Hesg Primary as a new English-medium primary school for the Glyn-coch community. A Welsh-language Meithrin will sit alongside the school, supporting the early-years offer in both languages.
Beyond the classrooms, the scheme is designed as a genuine community hub. It includes:
- Three dedicated community rooms available outside school hours
- Two Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) and a grass sports pitch
- New playgrounds designed for active, outdoor learning
- A 43-space car park with EV charging bays
- Secure bike, scooter and buggy storage to encourage sustainable travel
Setting a new standard for school buildings
Schools are some of the most intensively used public buildings in the country. Every percentage point of energy efficiency translates into lower running costs over a 60-year design life — money that can be redirected to teaching. Every improvement in indoor air quality, daylight and thermal comfort translates into measurable improvements in pupil concentration and staff wellbeing.
That is why this project pursues a stack of complementary green credentials rather than a single headline standard.
Passivhaus sets the fabric and energy performance benchmark. Through ultra-airtight construction, high-performance insulation and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, Passivhaus buildings typically use up to 90% less energy for heating than conventional buildings. For a school, that means dramatically reduced energy bills, stable temperatures throughout the school year, and excellent indoor air quality, a particular benefit for pupils with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Zero carbon in operation means the building will generate as much renewable energy on site as it consumes in use, removing day-to-day operational carbon emissions from the school's footprint.
The WELL Building Standard focuses on the people inside the building. Where Passivhaus governs how the building performs, WELL governs how it feels: air quality, water, lighting, acoustics, thermal comfort and biophilic design are all assessed against evidence-based criteria proven to support occupant health and wellbeing.
BREEAM Outstanding is the highest rating available under the UK's leading sustainability assessment method, recognising performance across energy, water, materials, waste, ecology and management, a whole-life view of environmental quality.
Building with Nature is the UK's first benchmark for high-quality green infrastructure. Accreditation requires the design to deliver measurable benefits for wildlife, water management and people — locking nature into the development from day one rather than treating it as a finishing touch.
The scheme will also exceed current Welsh Government targets for reductions in embodied carbon in new schools — addressing the carbon emitted during construction itself, not just in operation.