Public Sector : Education News
Iconic Space Park Leicester scoops top building awards

Iconic Space Park Leicester scoops top building awards

The world’s first science and innovation park dedicated to space-related companies has won two prestigious building awards. Space Park Leicester was officially opened by UK astronaut Tim Peake earlier this year and has built an impressive reputation for itself working on ground-breaking projects such as NASA’s internationally acclaimed James Webb

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Kier to Deliver Wolverhampton School

Kier to Deliver Wolverhampton School

Kier, a leading UK construction and infrastructure company, was appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to design and deliver a new school building for St Peter’s Collegiate Academy and Three Spires Trust in Wolverhampton. Part of the DfE school rebuilding programme, St Peters Academy is one of the first

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Walters & Cohen Architects Work on Wetherby Arts School

Walters & Cohen Architects work on Wetherby arts school

Walters & Cogen Architects, an award-winning London-based practice with an innovative and contemporary portfolio, has been working on the new Wetherby Arts School, in collaboration with Alpha Plus Group. Part of a £1.3 billion redevelopment of Olympia, the new 60,000-square-foot performing arts school will open in partnership with the BRIT

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Morgan Sindall Starts Work on Net-Zero Carbon School

Morgan Sindall starts work on net-zero school

Morgan Sindall has started construction work on Hertfordshire’s first full net-zero carbon school. The Buntingford First School, which is being funded by Hertfordshire County Council and built by Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business, will open for September 2023 and will be operated by the Scholars Education Trust. This

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Final Phase at Seacroft Hospital Commences

Final Phase at Seacroft Hospital Commences

Work on the final phase as Seacroft Hospital regeneration development has officially commenced and once ready it will be welcoming 185 new homes to the area. To mark the occasion, Keepmoat Homes and Strata welcomed Local Councillors Cllr David Jenkins and Cllr Katie Dye, alongside Homes England representatives Nancy Atkinson

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G F Tomlinson completes work on Lichfield primary school

Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction work on the new Fradley Park primary school in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The £4.8 million school is the first school to be built in the area in over 40 years and it will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places Delivered through the Staffordshire

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Beard carries out major refurbishment of private hospital

The operating and patient recovery facilities at a private hospital in Bath are undergoing a major refurbishment by Beard Construction. The five-phase project will see three operating theatres at Circle Health Group’s Bath Clinic revamped and a fourth created from an existing endoscopy suite. The associated patient recovery and anaesthetic

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Striking and sustainable new dining hall unveiled at University of Cambridge

A state-of-the-art faience-tiled dining hall has been completed at University of Cambridge’s Homerton College. The new building has a capacity of up to 336 and heating designed to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 40%. Ingleton Wood, a Cambridge-based property and construction consultancy, was appointed as Project Manager and Principal Designer

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Latest Issue
Issue 333 : Oct 2025

Public Sector : Education News

Iconic Space Park Leicester scoops top building awards

Iconic Space Park Leicester scoops top building awards

The world’s first science and innovation park dedicated to space-related companies has won two prestigious building awards. Space Park Leicester was officially opened by UK astronaut Tim Peake earlier this year and has built an impressive reputation for itself working on ground-breaking projects such as NASA’s internationally acclaimed James Webb Space Telescope. The £46.4 million facility designed by Shepheard Epstein Hunter architects and constructed by Bowmer + Kirkland, is home to a community of leading organisations, academics from the University of Leicester and students who are undertaking world-leading research and driving growth in the space and space-enabled sectors. Now it has added two more accolades to its growing list of achievements having won both the Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year Award and the Regeneration Project of the Year Award at the ProCon Leicestershire Awards which celebrate the best of the county’s built environment. Neil Loxton, Head of Project Delivery at the University of Leicester said: “The creation of Space Park Leicester took a long disused, contaminated brownfield site in a flood risk zone and transformed it into a major generator of social, economic and environmental improvement. “The facility is set to contribute £750 million a year to the UK space sector over the next decade and to support more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs in the East Midlands. “The scheme was delivered within budget and on time, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is an incredible success story for Leicester and the East Midlands and we’re thrilled that this world-leading development has been recognised by the judges at the ProCon Leicestershire Awards.” Space Park Leicester is a project led by the University of Leicester in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). The 9,700 m2 facility provides state-of-the-art facilities for research, development and manufacturing, with offices, shared laboratories, teaching facilities and co-working spaces, focussing primarily on research, development and applications of space. Firms have the opportunity to locate their business on a short- or long-term basis at Space Park Leicester. Dr Patricia Martin del Guayo, who led Shepheard Epstein Hunter’s team of architects for the project since 2017, said: “This is great recognition for a huge team effort providing something unique in the world which enables industry and university to work closely together on key issues like climate change. “It has brought a contaminated overgrown site in a flood risk area safely back into use, it welcomes schoolchildren as much as leading researchers and is designed as a low-energy, sustainable project which will last 100 years or more and can change and adapt to support the pioneering research in the building.” Space Park Leicester’s latest success comes on the back of it winning the Sustainable Project of the Year Award at the East Midlands Property Awards in September. To find out more information about Space Park Leicester, visit: https://www.space-park.co.uk/. To learn more ProCon Leicestershire, visit https://www.procon-leicestershire.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Steel signing and bolt tightening event celebrates milestone in the Graven Hill primary school development

Steel signing and bolt tightening event celebrates milestone in the Graven Hill primary school development

The 420-pupil primary school development at Graven Hill has moved a step closer with the steel frame superstructure being signed by a local child at a celebration event this week. A traditional bolt tightening also took place to recognise the significant milestone in the delivery of the primary school. Graven Hill Village Development Company and Kier welcomed councillors and officers from Cherwell District and Oxfordshire County councils, Warriner Academy Trust and local child Jackson-Jordan Daly to the event where the winning pre-school poster design for the hoardings around the three-hectare site was unveiled. Grant Gibson, construction director of Graven Hill Village Development Company, said: “The event was a great way to mark the fantastic progress being made as the new Graven Hill Primary School takes shape. It was also great to see Jackson-Jordan, who will one day have the opportunity to learn at the school, visit during its construction. “I’d like to thank all of those involved for their hard work to ensure we could deliver this project despite the huge challenges the UK construction industry is facing. The school will be run by the flagship Warriner Academy Trust, on behalf of the County Council, and will be a key part of our growing community at Graven Hill.” Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance and Property at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I am delighted that the Graven Hill Primary School is now under construction. It has been a long wait for the growing community here so I am glad that residents, including those who will benefit from the school in future, were present for this ceremony. Thank you to the teams from Graven Hill, Kier, Cherwell District and Oxfordshire County Councils who are making this happen. “A primary school helps to create a sense of place and of belonging. Within its walls, hundreds of children will learn and grow as members of the Graven Hill community. At its gates, hundreds of parents will gather and connect. It is exciting to see this important step in delivering the community facilities that will make Graven Hill an even better place to live.” Kier will complete the development in August 2023, with the two-form entry school set to be handed over to the Warriner Academy Trust in autumn 2023. It will comprise 12 classrooms, specialist facilities for art, design and technology and more than 13,000 sq. m of pitches, play and multi-use games areas. The early years facility will accommodate a further 90 pupils aged between 2-4 years in three classrooms, with dedicated facilities and play areas. The site also enables the school to expand to three-forms of entry in future. This sustainable development is targeting a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, recognising this independent best practice assessment which evaluates energy and water use, health and wellbeing, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes. The building has been designed with enhanced thermal values and high performance materials to the principles of Net Zero Carbon. The photovoltaic panels will also provide power to the local grid when the school is not in use. As well as reducing the amount of heat, energy and water the school will use, the design also maximises natural ventilation in order to deliver a healthy place to learn. Kier regional director for Kier Construction Andy Bolas, added: “With infrastructure now complete and the team now working on the superstructure, we were able to mark the steel work progress at today’s milestone event. As well as welcoming local children and families to the site today, we are working hard to involve and inspire local students during the build by offering providing career guidance, work experience, site visits and supporting apprentices with training and development” The 300 metres of hoardings along Graven Hill Road and Hull Lane will be decorated by the winning design from the Graven Hill Primary School Picture Competition. Graven Hill remains a hugely popular development. Unique and diverse, it offers a wide range of housing options from self-build and custom build, which can be tailored to your needs, to apartments and affordable homes. It is set in open, green spaces including woodland, allotments and a network of cycle and footpaths. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Kier to Deliver Wolverhampton School

Kier to Deliver Wolverhampton School

Kier, a leading UK construction and infrastructure company, was appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to design and deliver a new school building for St Peter’s Collegiate Academy and Three Spires Trust in Wolverhampton. Part of the DfE school rebuilding programme, St Peters Academy is one of the first schools in the country to be announced by the programme. The project, which was procured through the Department for Education Contractors Framework 2021, will be developed in stages that involve the design and planning, through to demolition of existing buildings, creation of specialist temporary accommodation, and the build of a new secondary school. “We’re delighted to be appointed by the DfE to support St Peter’s Academy and Three Spires Trust to develop the design, and ultimately deliver this important new school building. As experts in delivering education projects in live school environments, we understand the needs of the school to continue to support their students’ education. We look forward to playing our part in creating a first-class educational setting for pupils, students, staff and local communities in Wolverhampton,” said David Yorke, Regional Director, Kier Construction Eastern and Midlands. The new academy building will replace four of the current seven buildings on site and, during the build, specialist accommodation will be provided by Kier to minimise disruption to teaching and learning for students at the school. Further works will take place to make way for enhanced outdoor facilities as well. “The appointment of Kier is an important milestone for the project and we are delighted with the progress made so far in our journey to a new academy building. Although St Peter’s is much more than the buildings, it is undoubted that moving into a new building in 2025 will transform the education we offer to our students currently and in the future,” added Vice Principal, St Peter’s Academy, Daniel Sherriff. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Walters & Cohen Architects Work on Wetherby Arts School

Walters & Cohen Architects work on Wetherby arts school

Walters & Cogen Architects, an award-winning London-based practice with an innovative and contemporary portfolio, has been working on the new Wetherby Arts School, in collaboration with Alpha Plus Group. Part of a £1.3 billion redevelopment of Olympia, the new 60,000-square-foot performing arts school will open in partnership with the BRIT School as soon as 2025. Walters & Cohen has developed the concept, look, and feel of the Wetherby Arts School, working alongside the developer’s architects, SPPARC and the contractors architects HLM Architects. “We are delighted to be working with Alpha Plus on their very exciting vision for a new Arts School in the new Olympia Development. We have enjoyed the challenge of designing a multi-level state of the art, urban school that will bring the community into the school through use of the theatre and also allow the school to use facilities in the new development when desired,” commented Michál Cohen, Founding Director, Walters & Cohen Architects. The building was originally a multi-storey car park, with a listed façade. The goal was to keep the charm of the original building, while getting the right amount of light into the deepest parts of the plan. A new atrium will cut through the middle of the school, linking all levels, while a three-floor extension on the roof provides a dining hall that opens onto an outdoor terrace. Taking over the school for children aged 11 to 18 is Alpha Plus Group in partnership with the BRIT School, which will provide community classes after school hours on weekends and holidays. They will also provide funding for some children to attend the BRIT Kids classes free of charge. Wetherby Arts School will specialise in drama, dance and music, including a theatre run by the BRIT School. “We are delighted to be expanding our portfolio into this vibrant West London quarter of transformational and exciting placemaking. It has been a privilege for our team to be working with Future Olympia (our landlord) and the verve and skill of W&C once again,” added Richard Jones, Director of Property, Alpha Plus Group. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Morgan Sindall Starts Work on Net-Zero Carbon School

Morgan Sindall starts work on net-zero school

Morgan Sindall has started construction work on Hertfordshire’s first full net-zero carbon school. The Buntingford First School, which is being funded by Hertfordshire County Council and built by Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties business, will open for September 2023 and will be operated by the Scholars Education Trust. This is the first school in the county to be built and operate at net zero carbon, in line with the Hertfordshire County Council’s sustainability strategy and ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. It will utilise a Passivhaus design which will improve the school’s air quality, reduce carbon emissions and lower its energy running costs. “We are proud to commence work at the first net-zero school in Hertfordshire, which hopefully will be the first of many. At Morgan Sindall Construction, we understand that the spaces children learn in have a vital and lasting impact on their education. The Northern Home Counties team is well experienced in delivering state-of-the-art educational facilities that inspire pupils, and we look forward to providing a high-end environment for Buntingford’s growing community,” said David Rowsell, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Northern Home Counties Area Director. “By ensuring Buntingford School is carbon-neutral, we are not only futureproofing the site for generations of students, but we are also ensuring that our region plays an active role in combatting the climate crisis,” he added. As part of the highly sustainable project, over 300 solar panels, triple-glazing windows and air-source heat pumps will be installed. The new school will also include a rooftop outdoor classroom, play areas and a “forest school”. In addition, all the teaching spaces in the school will face north, avoiding south-facing windows that cause rooms to over-heat, while social areas such as the school dining halls and common rooms will face south. The new 330-pupil school, which has ten classrooms and incorporates a nursery, will be built on the former Sainsbury’s depot site, adjoining the Bury Football Club who will share the site with the new School. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Final Phase at Seacroft Hospital Commences

Final Phase at Seacroft Hospital Commences

Work on the final phase as Seacroft Hospital regeneration development has officially commenced and once ready it will be welcoming 185 new homes to the area. To mark the occasion, Keepmoat Homes and Strata welcomed Local Councillors Cllr David Jenkins and Cllr Katie Dye, alongside Homes England representatives Nancy Atkinson and Marie Kiddell, on site for a sod cutting ceremony. “We are extremely excited to have commenced work on the final phase in Seacroft. The development is part of a wider regeneration project in East Leeds and aims to provide a tremendous opportunity for the city’s growth, and the much-needed high-quality homes will contribute to making the area a great place to live and work for both local residents as well as those new to the area,” said Michael Orgill, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Homes. “We have a strong track record of breathing new life into brownfield land such as this and are driven to make a big impact on the local community. By generating local employment and training opportunities during the construction period, we aim to deliver real value to the area and ensure the re-development is a benefit for all.” Comprising one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, available for both open market sale and affordable housing provision, the development is due to complete in Summer 2025 and will bring the total homes delivered at the scheme to 686. “The development has been a flagship scheme for developers, Leeds Council and Homes England, showcasing brownfield regeneration, the construction of mixed tenure homes, fast paced delivery, key infrastructure investment and socio-economic outputs for local people,” commented Mark Leaf, Director of Land and Planning at Strata. “A Skills Hub, in partnership with Leeds College of Building has also been implemented to maximize the use of local labour and skills development; ensuring local people and businesses are benefitting from the investment. We look forward to completing this scheme and working in partnership with Homes England and Leeds Council on forthcoming sites to continue to transform brownfield sites and assist helping local people with job and training opportunities.” As part of its commitment to the local community and the city of Leeds, Keepmoat Homes has pledged to support local people and maximise the use of local labour through the use of sub-contractors, along with creating opportunities in training and work placements, with an aim of creating the next generation of workers. Finally, Nancy Atkinson, Project Manager for Homes England, the Government’s housing agency, added: “We’re excited to see the start of the final phase of the Seacroft Hospital development, unlocking land for over 680 new homes. This final phase of development reflects the strong partnership work with Homes England, Keepmoat Homes and Strata to bring much needed housing to meet demand in the area. “Homes England have assembled the site over the past ten years, re-purposing surplus public sector land for much needed housing contributing to the Government’s housing targets,” she concluded. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News

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G F Tomlinson completes work on Lichfield primary school

Contractor G F Tomlinson has completed construction work on the new Fradley Park primary school in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The £4.8 million school is the first school to be built in the area in over 40 years and it will offer 210 primary and 26 nursery places Delivered through the Staffordshire County Council Framework, the new, two storey 1FE primary free school was project managed by Entrust. Now complete, it will be run by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust and a ceremony will be held later in the year to celebrate the opening. “We are delighted to have completed Fradley Park Primary School with framework partner Staffordshire County Council, which will provide much-needed school and nursery places for the local community in Lichfield,” said Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson. “Our completion of this project also coincides with that of Bramshall Meadows Primary School – another scheme that we have worked on through the Staffordshire County Council Framework. We’re pleased to continue to be very active in this region, in the education sector and in general, building numerous quality schools throughout the Midlands.” The primary school in Lichfield comprises nine classrooms, a library, catering spaces, indoor sports facilities and an outdoor play area. There is also a MUGA (multi-use games area) pitch on site to enable a number of sports activities for pupils. The school has been constructed with consideration for proposed expansion to 2FE in the future – taking its capacity up to 420 primary and 52 nursery places in total – to accommodate for further planned housing schemes in the local area. “Fradley Park is the latest of our primary schools to be built in response to growing demand for school places locally Whenever there is new housing in an area, we always work with developers, local schools and the Department for Education to put plans in place to meet increased demand for school places. With its brand-new library, sports facilities and state-of-the-art classrooms, this school will provide children with a fantastic environment in which to learn and grow,” commented Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price. Staffordshire County Council has entrusted G F Tomlinson with the delivery of five schools to date, with Fradley Park Primary School being the latest. “We’re extremely pleased to see Fradley Park ready to open its doors to local children and their families. As our first primary free school, Fradley Park has been a key priority for the Trust, and we have been supported extremely well by Staffordshire County Council, Entrust, the Department for Education and GF Tomlinson. Our close working relationship has played no small part in enabling us to reach this milestone so effectively, and for us to be receiving a truly wonderful new school that will grow with its local communities for generations,” added Mike Donoghue, CEO of John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust, expressing his delight over the completion of the school. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News

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Prestwick educational campus officially handed over to South Ayrshire Council

hub South West Scotland has handed over the new Prestwick Educational Campus project to South Ayrshire Council. Based at Sherwood Road in Prestwick, the new educational campus has been developed on the site of the existing Glenburn Primary School and will accommodate the school’s current intake, as well as the relocation of the nearby St Ninian’s Primary School and the creation of a new Early year’s centre and nursery As the Authority’s development partner, hub South West Scotland (hub SW) managed the development and delivery of the project and worked closely with construction partner Morgan Sindall, architect BDP, independent tester Capita and principal designer and cost consultant Gardiner and Theobald. South Ayrshire Council formally announced the project in May 2019 with work beginning on site in early 2020. The new campus consists of 22 classrooms and multi purpose rooms spread over two storeys, with an Early Years centre and nursery facilities for children aged two to five.  Incorporating leading sustainable methods into the project was key with the new campus running purely on electric power thanks to the installation of roof solar panels and air source heat pumps for heating.  In addition to a state-of-the-art sports hall, the new Prestwick Educational Campus will feature outstanding outdoor sporting amenities, including an all-weather pitch. A new allotment garden, willow garden and sensory garden will offer students and children from the surrounding community the opportunity to learn about local nature.  Councillor Stephen Ferry, South Ayrshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Education said: “We’re committed to providing children and young people with the best possible start in life, and I’m delighted that pupils can now set foot into their brand new school after what I’m sure felt like a long wait for them.   “Prestwick Educational Campus will provide a modern and engaging environment for learning and will ensure pupils can thrive throughout their years at school. We’re continuing to transform learning in South Ayrshire with our school build programme, and I know that both schools will benefit from the shared provision.   “I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone involved in making this project a huge success, and wish all of the children, teachers and school staff good luck for the year ahead.” Michael Ross, Chief Executive of hub South West Scotland, said: “We are incredibly proud to have led the delivery of this project for South Ayrshire Council, delivering the project early – enabling the full school to decant before the end of the summer holidays – on budget, and to the highest quality standards.  “This is the 14th project we have successfully delivered for South Ayrshire Council. It is this long-standing relationship that has enabled us a platform to invest in ongoing initiatives, continuous improvement and processes to support our joint agenda for excellence in project delivery which has been demonstrated and proven here.  “This platform allows us to implement our unique Build Ayrshire events that upskill SMEs, facilitate our hub clubs that create a network of connected Ayrshire businesses and also reinforces our partnership with Ayrshire College where we support curriculum activities. “This project was a real team effort. A huge well done goes out to all parties involved, the local supply chain and our construction partner Morgan Sindall.” Stuart Parker, managing director of Morgan Sindall Construction’s Scotland region, said: “It’s an honour to deliver this state-of-the-art educational campus to the local community. “Our aim was to create an inspiring space where students can socialise, learn and flourish in an environment that feels special to them – we can’t wait for everyone to enjoy it. “This campus is yet another example of working collaboratively with our partners to create special places that have a positive impact, so a huge thank you to all involved.” Lindsey Mitchell, Architect Director, BDP Glasgow Studio, said: “I’m thrilled that pupils will be starting their first day at nursery or school at the new Prestwick Campus. We received such positive engagement and involvement with the pupils, parents, staff and the wider Prestwick community and I hope the buildings and open spaces we have created reflect their needs and views.   “The design celebrates the identity of both of the primary schools and the shared space will help bring together each of the school communities.    “We aimed to create something authentic for the community that will be inclusive, welcoming and provide a platform for contemporary learning and teaching. The buildings present a positive, community facing frontage that will provide a strong sense of arrival to all pupils, staff and visitors regardless of whether they are using the facilities, teaching or learning at the campus.”  The outputs delivered as part of the Prestwick Educational Campus project are not limited to the built environment. hub South West Scotland tenders and awards projects to help drive job creation and investment in the local Ayrshire SME base.   As a collective team we facilitated 14 apprenticeships filled by local young people. As part of the work experience programme, attendees supported the groundworks team with setting out, kerbing, landscaping and joinery. They were also given the opportunity to observe key milestone activity on site including cement pours and completion of steel work.  hub SW tendered the project competitively to maximise local economic output which saw two jobs created and also saw a graduate quantity surveyor and graduate QHSE manager hired to work on the project. hub SW has held multiple workshops with local SMEs and ensured that 80% of packages were tendered by territory supply chain.  This project has awarded £9m of works packages to subcontractors within the hub SW territory, included within that is £3.7m of spend with subcontractors in Ayrshire and £3m of that with South Ayrshire Council based businesses.

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Beard carries out major refurbishment of private hospital

The operating and patient recovery facilities at a private hospital in Bath are undergoing a major refurbishment by Beard Construction. The five-phase project will see three operating theatres at Circle Health Group’s Bath Clinic revamped and a fourth created from an existing endoscopy suite. The associated patient recovery and anaesthetic rooms will also be transformed, alongside new staff changing and toilet areas and the installation in a new roof of the significant new infrastructure needed to power and operate the state-of-the-art equipment in the new facilities. The challenges of the £3.5m refurbishment are calling upon Beard’s extensive experience of working on medical developments. Three of the four operating theatres will always remain in use while the work is undertaken and the entire project will take place alongside the clinical environment of the hospital – with minimum disruption to the on-going, 24/7 patient services. Beard is also pulling together and managing a range of expert sub-contractors providing specialist equipment including medical gas supplies, surgeons panels, hospital building management system panels and nurse-call systems. The work is on track to be completed by July 2023. Three of the theatres sit in the basement of a two-storey building with patient recovery facilities on the floor above. Beard has re-felted, insulated and re-purposed the crinkle-tin roof above this building to hold the new infrastructure needed to run the operating theatres and recovery areas below. This roof area will also house new a standalone air-heating unit as well as parallel unique and isolated power supplies. The installation will include several 300-tonne crane lifts, as the control systems are lowered into place above the patient recovery areas. The project is currently in phase one, with phase zero seeing the roof conversion and installation of system infrastructure and the stand-alone endoscopy unit converted to a fully-fledged operating theatre. The remaining four phases will now work through the conversion of the existing three operating theatres. Beard Swindon director Jamie Harwood said: “Beard’s commitment to minimising the impact of our work on the local environment has already been taken to new levels on this project. “To carry out this extensive refurbishment alongside or above a working, clinical environment is exceptionally challenging. But we’re working with the hospital staff and our sub-contractors to make it happen. “The final product will transform the operating environment and facilities for patients and staff at Bath Clinic.” A spokesperson for Circle Health Group said: “The refurbishment work taking place at Bath Clinic is making good on our promise to offer our patients the very best facilities and services. As the hospital enters its 40th year treating and serving the community, this investment project is a commitment to continuing to deliver outstanding care to patients in Bath and further afield for another 40 years.”

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Striking and sustainable new dining hall unveiled at University of Cambridge

A state-of-the-art faience-tiled dining hall has been completed at University of Cambridge’s Homerton College. The new building has a capacity of up to 336 and heating designed to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 40%. Ingleton Wood, a Cambridge-based property and construction consultancy, was appointed as Project Manager and Principal Designer for the two-year project. The project comprised a dining hall, buttery, kitchens and other staff amenities, and provides daily dining facilities as well as a formal venue for evening events. A balcony located in the buttery offers students an alternative setting for socialising or quiet study. The hall has been designed and detailed robustly for a minimum 100-year lifespan, applying a set of sustainability standards that exceed best practice. It is all-electric and passively ventilated, with a ground source heat pump that reduces CO2 emissions from heating and hot water by approximately 40%. Nick Bryant, Project Manager at Ingleton Wood, said: “Homerton College has been a client of ours for many years, and we were delighted to utilise our extensive experience within the campus to support this project. “In 2014 we prepared an overall College Masterplan which identified the Dining Hall’s construction as one phase of the implementation process. We have worked with the College and contractors to carry out all of the previous phases, including new post-graduate accommodation, refurbishment of the Queens Wing building, a new college bar, the provision of new guest bedrooms, an auditorium and music practice rooms.” Previously the College’s dining facilities were housed in its historical buildings, but additional capacity and modernisation were required. The new build achieves this while maintaining the site’s heritage, with the faience tiles echoing the formal motifs of its neighbouring buildings. Lord Simon Woolley, Principal of Homerton College, said: “Our new dining hall is a beautiful beacon which from the outside speaks to our ambition and values, and on the inside provides space for our students, Fellows, staff and guests to have conversations, debates, music, theatre and of course, fine dining, all under this magical roof.” Ingleton Wood is one of the largest property and construction consultancies covering Central England, East Anglia, London and the South East, with offices in Cambridge, Oxford, London, Colchester, Billericay and Norwich. Its services include architecture, building surveying, building services engineering, planning, interior design, civil and structural engineering, quantity surveying, project management and health and safety.  For more information about Ingleton Wood, visit www.ingletonwood.co.uk.

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