Willmott Dixon has selected REL Building Services to deliver the M&E package for a new £12m facility at the University of Hertfordshire.

Part-funded by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the three-storey ‘Business Hub’ is due to be completed in 2020. Designed by Bond Bryan, it will bring business incubator, social, and teaching facilities all under one roof.

REL will be responsible for developing the M&E design to optimise performance, energy efficiency and costs. The installation of the £1.9m solution is expected to take eight months.

Toby Buckley, REL’s managing director said: “This exciting educational facility incorporates teaching spaces alongside open plan collaboration spaces that will allow entrepreneurial students to mix with local businesses and hopefully develop successful business relationships.

“We will be drawing on our extensive experience of both the education and commercial sectors to design and deliver an M&E package that uses the most effective technology to drive efficiencies and meet all client objectives.”

The Business Hub will feature a ground floor social space, an area dedicated to business incubation, providing local entrepreneurs with access to all of the University’s facilities, and a new learning space for students.

Hertfordshire LEP has invested £2.5m from the Local Growth Fund towards the construction of the building as part of its strategic priority to support business growth and innovation within the county.

REL has a long-established relationship with Willmott Dixon and has worked with the contractor on several major projects, including the award-winning St Albans Museum and Art Gallery.