ISG celebrated reaching the highest point in the construction of the new campus building at Richmond upon Thames College by hosting a topping out ceremony where Liberal Democrat Party leader and MP for Twickenham, Sir Vince Cable, tightened the final bolt on the steel frame. More than 100 guests from
THE Deanes Academy in Benfleet, Essex, expansion will be one of the first projects in East Anglia to be delivered through the Department for Education (DfE) Construction Framework. Pick Everard – the independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy – is providing full design and engineering services for the new school
The Templeman Library at the University of Kent features multiple Kawneer systems. A multi award-winning redevelopment of a university library has used architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer for their ability to combine aesthetics with performance and value for money. Kawneer’s aluminium AA®100 curtain walling, as zone-drained capped
Successful topping out event for new 256 bed purpose-built student accommodation development, Stanhope House, Portsmouth, on track and on budget for opening September 2019 Crosslane Student Developments (“Crosslane”), part of the Crosslane Property Group, celebrated the topping out of its latest Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (“PBSA”) development in Portsmouth on 28
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library,
Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy
A new partnership, STEM Accord, created to provide co-ordinated action to inspire more young people, and particularly girls, to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will be announced at the WISE annual conference. STEM Accord has been created by WISE, the ERA Foundation, STEM Learning, Design and Technology Association (DATA)
Clegg Construction has completed a new Students’ Union building at a West Midlands university. The build was carried out by the Nottingham-based company at Aston University in Birmingham, on behalf of Aston Students’ Union as part of a £6.1m design and build contract. The modern new build replaces the 1960s
Abtec Building Technologies (Abtec BT) has upgraded the environmental controls in various buildings at Arthur Mellows Village College, a sixth form secondary school located near Peterborough. As well as reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, the new controls have provided the school with greater ease of use and operational efficiencies.
A 99-year lease has been signed by the University of Lincoln and Bishop Burton College to secure the provision of land-based further and higher education at the Riseholme Campus. The new agreement, which benefits from the support of the Education and Skills Funding Agency, ensures practical land-based further and higher
ISG celebrated reaching the highest point in the construction of the new campus building at Richmond upon Thames College by hosting a topping out ceremony where Liberal Democrat Party leader and MP for Twickenham, Sir Vince Cable, tightened the final bolt on the steel frame. More than 100 guests from the college, ISG’s supply chain and its associated partners attended the event to mark the completion of the building’s shell and core, bringing the College’s vision to create a world class post-16 centre of excellence closer to realisation. As he addressed the attendees, Sir Vince Cable said: “This outstanding building will turn this college into place of distinction for vocational and educational training and apprenticeships in the region, and I’m really proud to be associated with the project. “We have to make sure the further education sector in the UK is properly supported. Post-school education is not just about universities and having a successful further education sector is absolutely critical to the future of the country. I am delighted that the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is hosting such a forward-thinking project and I would like to say well done to everybody who has been involved in bringing it to fruition.” Steven McGee from ISG, as well as project partners, including Fusion, Atkins and Faithful+Gould also addressed the delegates on the day, alongside Gerard Toplass from procurement and management services provider, PAGABO, who revealed that the £35 million project has generated more than £53 million of social value in Richmond, including the creation of 10 apprenticeships and 41 new jobs, to date. Steven McGee, managing director of ISG’s UK Construction South division, explained: “A great deal of hard work, creative thinking and collaboration has bought this project to this key milestone. This event marks a significant moment in the delivery of this legacy project for the region, and it’s a moment to pause and reflect on the strong partnerships and joint endeavor that is bringing this exceptional facility to life.” “The Richmond Building will act as a beacon for the community, attracting the brightest students in the region, and the best talent in FE teaching, and ISG is already playing its part in this vision. Throughout the course of the project, we have engaged with young people in Richmond to drive employment and upskilling opportunities. Our Level 3 Diploma in Professional Construction Practice (PCP), which will be rolled out – in conjunction with the college – from this September. We welcome the engagement from our partners, the college and the local community as we continue to create a positive legacy in Richmond for generations to come.” Robin Ghurbhurun, RuTC’s Chief Executive and Principal added: “The vision is to create a flagship college that will not only benefit Richmond borough residents but also become a major careers hub and community destination for students and employers. Colleges are vital in driving social mobility and providing the skills to boost local and regional economies by providing high quality technical and professional education and training for young people, adults and employers.” The building is due for completion, early 2020.
THE Deanes Academy in Benfleet, Essex, expansion will be one of the first projects in East Anglia to be delivered through the Department for Education (DfE) Construction Framework. Pick Everard – the independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy – is providing full design and engineering services for the new school block, including architecture, building services and structural and civil engineering, working in partnership with the project’s main contractor, Cadman Construction. Due for completion in summer 2019, the project will see a 1970s school block demolished and a new building constructed, consisting of science laboratories, art, graphics and food rooms, as well as office facilities and special educational needs and disability (SEND) spaces. Paul Darlow, regional director at Pick Everard, said: “Having had little upgrades since its initial build in the 1970s, the technology block at The Deanes Academy was identified as needing significant modernisation. Due to the block not being watertight, energy efficient or up to current regulatory standards, the decision was made to demolish the building and construct a new, state-of-the-art block in its place. “The project proposes to construct a two-storey 1,478m2 new building containing nine specialist classrooms, office and ancillary facilities with a maximum capacity of 344 students and teachers. The new building aspires to high standards of sustainable design and operation optimising passive daylight design, natural ventilation with a high efficiency thermal fabric. “In order to minimise disruption to the site, the construction team has reconfigured car parking and vehicle access to suit the proposals. The project team is working closely with the school to develop a programme of complementary learning activities while the project is on site. “School engagement will enable students to understand the complexities of building design and learn more about developing careers in building design and construction. Work is now progressing well and we look forward to seeing it complete very soon.” Stuart Cadman, framework director at Cadman, said: “There are a number of challenges to consider during this project, such as time constraints and cost efficiencies that must be met – however, we have already developed a close working relationship across the multi-disciplinary team and our collaborative approach has enabled us to fast track the initial planning stages and we are glad to see that works have started on site.” The project has been identified as one of the first jobs in East Anglia on the new DfE Construction Framework and Pick Everard’s first project on the Low Value Band under the Priority School Building Programme. For more information visit www.pickeverard.co.uk.
The Templeman Library at the University of Kent features multiple Kawneer systems. A multi award-winning redevelopment of a university library has used architectural glazing systems by leading UK manufacturer Kawneer for their ability to combine aesthetics with performance and value for money. Kawneer’s aluminium AA®100 curtain walling, as zone-drained capped and mullion-drained SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) versions, is complemented by AA®100 concealed window vents, AA®541 top-hung casement window vents, AA®3610 vertical sliding windows and AA®3572 lift/slide doors. They were specified by regular Kawneer users Penoyre & Prasad architects for the £27 million redevelopment, involving a new extension to and refurbishment of the existing building, of the Templeman Library at the heart of the University of Kent in Canterbury. Designed by Lord Holford and constructed in three phases between 1965 and 1990, the new-look library was also constructed in three phases, with the 5,400m2 new-build completed first, and second and third phases of 12,500m2 refurbishment following. Penoyre & Prasad’s competition-winning design for the project creates a vibrant contemporary building for study, interaction and exploration, bringing together a variety of study and support spaces, versatile collection and exhibition space, and a teaching suite. Their approach was to reveal the original building’s hidden strengths by removing sections of floor structure at each level in the central core of the building to let in daylight and create views across the building, and replacing the glazing with the Kawneer curtain walling to weave the new extension and the existing building into one volume. The treatment of the external facade inverts the balance of the original Brutalist architecture of the building to create a strong and holistic contemporary architectural identity. The new north entrance was formed by glazing in a services/delivery undercroft with Kawneer curtain walling, while remodelling of the existing library included two entrance extensions, improved vertical circulation and re-glazing of the entire façade, again with Kawneer curtain walling. Penoyre & Prasad partner Suzi Winstanley said: “We specified the Kawneer products for their value for money and ability to combine aesthetics and construction quality at the price band, also their ability to achieve the performance requirements. “They are an extensive part of the façade system, helping to keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer, allowing natural ventilation to the library. A key reason for aluminium was value for money for the interior and robustness for the exterior.” She added: “The Kawneer products helped us achieve U-values for the external envelope, allowing sufficient daylight into the building whilst dealing with glare. They create a contemporary building of glass and concrete, combining the existing building with a new extension and upgraded façade. “The glazed elements allow much more daylight into the existing refurbished building and enable the concrete elements of the façade to hang lightly against the glass façade at the entrance to the existing building, inverting the weight of the brick buttresses of the existing building and creating a clear and welcoming entrance. At the junctions with new concrete, existing concrete and existing brickwork, the glazing is the glue that ties all these elements together.” The bronze anodised mesh veil of the extension façade forms a sophisticated, sustainable envelope that weaves the old and new to create a distinctive flagship building at the heart of the university campus. The new development provides a wide variety of learning and support spaces and opportunities to share knowledge through, including an open-access teaching floor with a distinctive resin-clad 250-seat lecture theatre, eight seminar rooms, group rooms, café, exhibition space and a conference catering and resource facility. Research included consultation with staff and students from a wide variety of courses, including students with disabilities, to design 1,800 individual, pair and group study spaces across informal, quiet and silent zones to suit contemporary learning styles. The redeveloped building has achieved a BREEAM “Excellent” rating, largely through the architect’s simple but elegant ventilation treatment, with Kawneer’s opening windows shielded by chain-like screens, stack effect in the double-height volume, and cross-ventilation to cool the inner spaces. Both the metal grillage and monumental external fins serve to shade what is otherwise a Kawneer glazed wall. Its complexity lies in the scale of investment and in dealing with an existing building that is pivotal to the university’s 15,000 students and needed to remain in use during construction. The Kawneer systems were installed over 15 months by a team of up to six from approved specialist sub-contractor/dealer Leay for main contractor Kier Construction. Leay’s business development manager Mike Watts said: “Hinged mesh panels were hung from the Kawneer curtain wall in front of the opening vents at varying heights to mimic the effect of icicles hanging from the roof level. The original design was to have these fixed but for cleaning strategies these had to be designed hinged to access the screen behind.” The university’s director of information services John Sotillo said: “The Templeman Library was the most impressive building on campus when the university was established in the 1960s and it is fitting that as the university celebrates its 50th anniversary we should have transformed it. “The 21st Century updated and refreshed Templeman Library has moved very significantly with the times to become an impressive modern building containing services and facilities that are equally modern, impressive and important to its current and prospective users.” The new-look Templeman Library won the 2017 Graphisoft UK BIM’s Public Sector Project of the Year award and was highly commended in the 2017 Concrete Society awards. It was also shortlisted for the 2018 AJ Specification Technology award, 2018 AJ Refurbishment over £20 million award, and 2018 AJ Retrofit Higher and Further Education award.
Successful topping out event for new 256 bed purpose-built student accommodation development, Stanhope House, Portsmouth, on track and on budget for opening September 2019 Crosslane Student Developments (“Crosslane”), part of the Crosslane Property Group, celebrated the topping out of its latest Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (“PBSA”) development in Portsmouth on 28 May 2019, which will open on time and on budget for the start of the 2019/20 academic year, following a tight construction timetable that began in October 2017. The new 256 bed scheme is Crosslane’s first development in Portsmouth with an expected gross development value of approximately £30 million upon practical completion, if you also want to start an investment and need some extra money, click here and find out how to get it. The ceremony was conducted by the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and the Lady Mayoress, Councillor David Fuller and Mrs Leza Tremorin, Lisa Timberlake, Senior Development Manager for Crosslane StudentDevelopments and Neil Russell, Managing Director for the RGB Group. The event was attended by the team of agents, contractors and professional partners working on the project, as well as the Prime Student Living team – the student accommodation lettings and operational management arm of the Crosslane Property Group, who are responsible for achieving full occupancy prior to practical completion and will continue to manage the building thereafter. The new 19-storey development called ‘Stanhope House’ is is one of the tallest buildings in the city and the topping out event represents a key milestone in the construction progress of this high-specification scheme. Conveniently located on the corner of Stanhope Road and Commercial Road in the city centre, the property is less than ten minutes’ walk from the main campus of Portsmouth University, within the central shopping district, surrounded by city centre amenities and opposite Portsmouth and Southsea train station and Victoria Park. Portsmouth is a vibrant and cosmopolitan port city with a student population of over 20,000, including a high proportion of postgraduates and international students. Upon practical completion, the development will comprise of 138 studio apartments and 118 en-suite bedrooms in shared cluster-flats over 18 floors, providing impressive views across the city skyline and out towards the Solent, with a retail unit on the ground floor. Stanhope House will offer students a unique experience with high quality communal facilities across 15 floors, each of which will offer something different, from study spaces, a library and relaxing lounges, to a Karaoke room, TV room, games room and American diner style entertaining kitchen and dining facility for private dinner parties, celebrations and socialising. Students will also benefit from secure cycle storage and superfast 100Mbps broadband and Wi-Fi throughout the building to provide residents with a first-class experience. Stanhope House is one of five new PBSA schemes by Crosslane within the recently announced Joint Venture (“JV”) with Harrison Street Real Estate Capital LLC. In addition to Coventry, the JV also includes new PBSA developments in Leeds, Coventry, Swansea and Cardiff, delivering a combined total of 1,685 beds and gross development value of approximately £180 million. Lisa Timberlake, Senior Development Manager, Crosslane Student Developments, said: “We are delighted to be working with the RGB Group on our Stanhope House development and pleased to be on track and on budget. This development in a prime location, will satisfy some of the rapidly increasing demand for student accommodation in Portsmouth, freeing up homes which could be occupied by the city’s families. Whilst this is our first development in the exciting and vibrant city of Portsmouth, Crosslane is also working with the RGB Group on a 391 bed student development in Cardiff, and we continue to explore other sites in Portsmouth to develop purpose-built student accommodation, helping to meet the growing demand for this type of student housing to ease the imbalance in supply and demand.” The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor David Fuller, said: “I am delighted to be celebrating the topping out of Stanhope House, the first student accommodation property to be completed in Portsmouth by Crosslane. The building is one of the tallest in the city, providing students with amazing views across the city. Portsmouth’s lively and cosmopolitan atmosphere is popular with students and an attractive place to work and invest. With over 20,000 students from the UK and overseas, Portsmouth continues to see significant demand for quality student accommodation and I am thrilled Crosslane has chosen to invest in the city. In addition to meeting the team constructing the building, it was also delightful to become acquainted with the team from Prime Student Living who will be managing the building once complete and responsible for looking after those students lucky enough to choose Stanhope House as their home and I wish them the best of success.” Neil Russell, Managing Director, RGB Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with Crosslane on our first purpose-built student accommodation development we have constructed for them on what promises to be an exciting landmark building that will be a great addition to the Portsmouth skyline. The topping out ceremony is a key milestone in the project and we will continue to work collaboratively with Crosslane and the professional team to deliver the project, which is making excellent progress and will be completed to the highest modern construction standards on time and within budget for the start of the 2019/20 academic year.”
Winchester’s first primary academy school is due to be delivered by contractor Willmott Dixon, which was awarded the £8.35 million contract by Hampshire County Council. The new Barton Farm Academy is a single storey two-form entry school that features a main hall, holistic music and drama studio, ‘discovery point’ library, staff room and workspace, administration offices and parent waiting rooms. As a response to the 2,000 new homes that are being built on the Barton Farm site, the Council has decided appoint a contractor and build further school places too. The school will target a BREEAM Excellent energy efficiency rating to provide a sustainable learning environment when it opens in September 2020. “The University is an outstanding provider of teacher education and has a strong track record of raising aspiration among young people. Pupils at the school will benefit from our values-driven ethos, extensive regional school partnerships, our evidence-based learning and teaching, our powerful links with local business and community organisations, and our passionate commitment to social justice and sustainability. The innovative Academy buildings, including state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor learning environments, will also meet our very high standards for sustainability,” said Professor Joy Carter CBE, DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University and Chair of the University of Winchester Academy Trust, which will run the school. This project win adds to Willmott Dixon’s recent contract to build the new Winchester Sport and Leisure Park to replace the River Park Leisure Centre. “Willmott Dixon is delighted to be involved in this project. The new school will provide much-needed inspirational learning spaces. We are always delighted to play a part in supporting the learning of the next generation. As will all our projects we aim to leave a positive legacy in the local community and are targeting 140 apprenticeship weeks on the project,” added Richard Poulter, managing director of Willmott Dixon in the Central South. Barton Farm Academy has been designed by Hampshire County Council’s in-house team of architects and landscape designers and meets the highest standards for environmental sustainability and will provide inspiring and creative learning spaces for children to flourish. The new school forms part of the County Council investment in new school places across Hampshire.
Schoolchildren in Cheshire are enjoying a renewed sense of health and wellbeing, following a ground-breaking project at Alsager School. The £320k development has provided students with space to enjoy the fresh air – whatever the weather. Tasked with overseeing the design, build and installation of a sleek new ETFE canopy to enclose what was previously an open courtyard, Access North Build has made waves within the education sector with its industry-first solution. Yorkshire-headquartered Access North Build designed, developed and installed a pioneering solution, a lightweight steel space frame – the first of its kind supporting an ETFE membrane in the UK – erected to span the quad, thus enclosing the area beneath. Alsager School site manager, Matt Harris, explained: “Fresh air plays a pivotal part in the wellbeing and health of people of all ages. Creating a space which allows students to ‘go outside’ while providing protection from the elements – including rain and solar shielding – is key to supporting their development.” Engineered to carry more weight over a greater area – in order to provide plenty of natural light and promote student wellbeing – the greatest challenge was the location and layout of the outdoor space, which was enclosed by existing buildings on all sides. As a result, the superstructure – which is over 400 square feet in size – had to be assembled in the school car park before being carefully manoeuvred over the establishment and precisely into position on the pre-installed locating bolts. Access North Group managing director, Berenice Northcott added: “This type of ETFE enclosure provides an extremely beneficial space for organisations within the education sector where student wellbeing is crucial. Additionally, the new ETFE canopy has a design life of 70 years providing it is regularly maintained, but if the time comes when it is no longer required, the ETFE membrane and steel space frame are recyclable, extending the environmental-friendliness of the build with the circular economy in mind. “We relished the challenges of this particular project. Craning a huge space frame over a school and courtyard – which was bordered on all sides – without damaging buildings or people, was a testament to the planning, organisation and attention to detail of the team. The new roof has transformed a previously under-utilised area into a light and airy multifunctional space, resulting in a positive impact on staff and pupils.”
A new partnership, STEM Accord, created to provide co-ordinated action to inspire more young people, and particularly girls, to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will be announced at the WISE annual conference. STEM Accord has been created by WISE, the ERA Foundation, STEM Learning, Design and Technology Association (DATA) and The Smallpeice Trust, working in alignment with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Engineering UK and the IET and guided by the recommendations of the Perkins Review. Helen Wollaston, Chief Executive of WISE, the campaign for better gender balance in STEM, says: “Despite hundreds of outreach programmes, most girls in this country still think that science, tech and engineering aren’t for them. We can’t allow this to continue. By joining forces, we will make sure that all girls and their families get the message that these subjects open doors to the jobs of the future” Dr Jo Kennedy, Board Member of the ERA Foundation, adds: “As far as we are aware this will be the first multi-organisation initiative to deliver STEM outreach to schools in line with the recommendations of the Perkins report, Engineering UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering. This collaboration is vital to provide more cohesive support to students, teachers and parents across the UK to ensure that as many young people as possible and particularly girls are inspired and understand the potential STEM careers that could be open to them.” STEM Accord aims to generate impact through combining effort and resources across the existing effective outreach programmes run by the founder member organisations. This approach is a key part of WISE’s 2019 action plan for creating future skills for the UK, taking a holistic approach to improving gender balance in STEM, from classroom to boardroom. Alongside the work as part of STEM Accord, WISE’s priorities for 2019 are: Ensuring that women have the opportunities to retrain or return to STEM careers at all stages of their careers. This includes a call to action for employers, Government and universities, to provide training for women to take up jobs in technology, to ensure that, as a priority, women are able to access life-long learning opportunities to retrain and reskill in STEM, including providing easy to access routes into work such as taster days, internship, returnships and training. Working together with business and industry, through WISE’s Ten Steps business programme, to help them show leadership by improving the representation of women in technical and management roles. WISE is calling on all organisations, from the classroom to the boardroom, to set a target for the percentage of girls and women in STEM to create sustainable change. Helen Wollaston explains: “Technology is transforming our lives and yet more than 80% of those working in technology are men. We need to address this now to ensure that women have opportunities for the best paid jobs, businesses can fill the technical roles they need, and women can play their full part in shaping our future world.” Helen concludes: “We know that industry, education and Government have a shared objective here; to encourage more girls into STEM and provide opportunities for them throughout their careers. It makes sense for us to work together to create sustainable change. We must take ownership, because we all have a contribution to make to ensure that the UK has the necessary STEM skills for the future. By working together, we can create a greater impact than we can separately. We’ll have broader insight, more ideas and better initiatives.”
Clegg Construction has completed a new Students’ Union building at a West Midlands university. The build was carried out by the Nottingham-based company at Aston University in Birmingham, on behalf of Aston Students’ Union as part of a £6.1m design and build contract. The modern new build replaces the 1960s Students’ Union building and is located at the heart of the university campus. The two-storey steel framed building was designed by architects Robothams and has striking full height glazing. There are a range of facilities inside including a café, bar and restaurant, shop, social spaces, prayer room and washing facilities, games area, media room, multi-exhibition and rehearsal space and office space for the union’s student officer team and services. Sustainability is a key factor of the new building which includes district heating, use of sustainable timbers, photovoltaic panels and a strict recycling policy – the building has also achieved an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate. Simon Blackburn, Managing Director of Clegg Construction, said: “This is a fantastic new venue for the Students’ Union and is among the most modern and sustainable of its type in the country.“We were delighted to work with Aston University once again having also completed the new labs for the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies.” Amna Atteeq, Students’ Union president said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Clegg Construction over the last 12 months on the new SU, I know students are going to absolutely love it and it’s going to become a home from home whilst they are studying at Aston. I’m going to be finishing my studies next year and I can’t wait to spend time enjoying the amazing new building.” This was the third project Clegg Construction has completed at Aston University in recent years. It completed the new facility for the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies in November 2017. Prior to that it carried out a £5.2m remodelling of the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s chemical engineering and applied chemistry facilities. Clegg Construction has completed schemes for the University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham and last year the new £10.1m Science Centre for the University of Wolverhampton.
Abtec Building Technologies (Abtec BT) has upgraded the environmental controls in various buildings at Arthur Mellows Village College, a sixth form secondary school located near Peterborough. As well as reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, the new controls have provided the school with greater ease of use and operational efficiencies. Serving pupils aged from 11 to 18, Arthur Mellows Village College is a secondary school in Glinton, around 8km north of Peterborough. Although Olympic medal-winning gymnast Louis Smith and footballer Luke Steele (goalkeeper at Nottingham Forest) are among notable alumni, the school is an academy with a specialism in technology. As such, facilities like its Science Department require regular investment. The original project Arthur Mellows Village College relocated its Science Department to a new build in 2009, leaving its previous building to become disused and unfit for purpose. However, the school recently wanted to breathe new life into the old Science Department building and, with a combination of funds from DfE grants, The Wolfson Foundation and its own financial resources, Arthur Mellows Village College set about creating a vision that would be called the McLaren Building. The upgraded facility would house art, science and media studies classrooms. A major aspect of the refurbishment would focus on the upgrading of environmental controls, with Abtec appointed by the project consultant to undertake this work. “In the old science block we were tasked with providing integrated lighting controls, mechanical vents and a BMS plant room based on Tridium technology – totally replacing the old systems,” explains Phil Peer, Project Manager at Abtec. Upon completion of the work, it was clear to see that the McLaren Building, which opened in 2016, had been refurbished to a very high standard. Indeed, the facility exceeds current thermal insulation levels. Housed within the revamped building are five dedicated art classrooms, a kiln room, screen-printing room, two science laboratories, a science preparation room, two media rooms, a media studio, a computer room and two further classrooms. The total cost of refurbishment works and fit out was approximately £1.5 million. Further works Due to the success of the McLaren Building, Abtec has since completed several additional projects at Arthur Mellows Village College, including the introduction of: a BMS in the humanities block; lighting controls in the newly constructed site office block; and lighting controls and BMS in the sports hall. “We also performed BMS works in the main plant room, which was originally served by another system,” says Mr Peer. “Equipment has been installed that interfaces with other plant rooms – it’s all in one place. The college sublets spaces for events, so the BMS had to offer easy adjustment.” Another area that leveraged the expertise of Abtec was the refectory, where extra space was constructed on to the existing block. Abtec provided a solution for controlling the underfloor heating, CO2 mechanical vent, lighting control and plant room controls – all of which were fed from the main plant room. “Throughout the various projects we adopted an agnostic approach, using DALI, which is industry-recognised open technology,” says Mr Peer. “It was important to avoid reliance on any one manufacturer, so if something needs to be replaced, it can be.” The systems installed by Abtec also facilitate the automatic testing of emergency lighting on a monthly basis, a function that saves on labour costs and time – boosting operational efficiency in the process. A common head end sits on a virtual school server, so all data is aggregated back to one place. In addition, a single set of graphics is deployed across all plant rooms to provide the same look and feel. The results All of the newly introduced lighting is based on LED technology, which in combination with the Abtec control systems means a better learning environment for pupils. Furthermore, new heating plant is helping to drive energy efficiency and CO2 reductions in line with Part L of the Building Regulations. “The temperature and lighting is a lot easier to control now, whereas before it was difficult to say the least,” states Gary Wentworth, Site Manager at Arthur Mellows Village College. “We had to go down to the boiler room and locate the right switch, which was not necessarily obvious. Now it’s all centralised on one computer, so we can alter time zones and schedules, and respond to issues quickly; it only takes a couple of minutes. The lighting has daylight harvesting control, which is saving energy as well as ensuring the right light levels for students and staff.” image credit © Paul Bryan (cc-by-sa/2.0)’
A 99-year lease has been signed by the University of Lincoln and Bishop Burton College to secure the provision of land-based further and higher education at the Riseholme Campus. The new agreement, which benefits from the support of the Education and Skills Funding Agency, ensures practical land-based further and higher education informed by the latest scientific research and industry needs can continue to be delivered at Riseholme into the next century. “This is wonderful news, not just for the College, its staff and its students, but the whole of Lincolnshire. It means Riseholme College will continue to produce future generations of farmers and other skilled workers,” said chief executive and principal of Riseholme College Bill Meredith. “These are exciting times and this agreement will also provide opportunities for collaborative working with the University, including in applied research, technology transfer, staff development and student progression. We look forward to a long and successful partnership.” Part of Bishop Burton College, Riseholme College will continue to have access to the campus, which is owned by the University of Lincoln, to deliver further education for school-leavers in subjects such as agriculture, engineering and equine studies, including at Riseholmeÿs farm and equine centre. The university will make significant investments to enhance the educational facilities, as well as advancing its own specialisms in cutting-edge scientific research and higher education courses supporting the food and farming industries at Riseholme, which is home to the University’s Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology. Both the university and the college have confirmed their shared commitment to developing a centre of excellence at Riseholme drawing on the very latest research to ensure students at all levels have the knowledge and skills they need to drive the future of agriculture and its supply chain in Lincolnshire and beyond. “Lincolnshire is at the heart of the UKÿs thriving food and farming industries and we are absolutely committed to meeting the changing skills and research needs of businesses of all shapes and sizes, by working with industry and our educational partners,” added Prof Mary Stuart, vice chancellor of the University of Lincoln. “This landmark agreement ensures Lincolnshire can boast the complete range of post-16 educational opportunities, from short courses and apprenticeships through to Masterÿs and PhD level study, for decades to come. All this is underpinned by the world-leading research of our agri-tech specialists and Riseholmeÿs outstanding natural features and facilities, reinforcing its status as a jewel in the crown for our regionÿs agri-food sector.”