A planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of the old primary school site at Milton Road, Oundle to accommodate a new purpose-built boarding house for Oundle School. Oundle School has a reputation for providing the very best of modern co-educational independent education, offering both boarding and day pupil
An official opening event was held on 20th March to celebrate the completion of the new sixth form building at King Ecgbert School in Dore, south-west of Sheffield. Almost a year after R G Carter first started construction on site the Lord Mayor of Sheffield Cllr Colin Ross marked the
Work has begun on an exciting £1.2 million expansion of one of Birmingham’s best performing prep schools. Two new state-of-the-art classrooms will be created at Hallfield School, on Church Road, in Edgbaston, alongside a new common room and male and female toilets. Leading development and construction company The Wigley Group
A new primary school is coming to Dunstall Park Estate in Tamworth and will be open to students for the start of the new school year in 2024/25. Construction works for Dunstall Park Primary School are being led by Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, on behalf of Staffordshire County Council
Plans to demolish and rebuild New Oscott Primary School in Sutton Coldfield have been approved by Birmingham City Council. Designed by CPMG Architects, the plans will transform the existing single-storey building into a purpose-built two-storey school with a sustainability specification including net zero carbon in operation. The school, located near
Coventry University has been awarded a grant of almost £13million to help hit its target of being net zero by 2030. The grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and delivered by Salix Finance Limited, will help towards
Bradford College is laying the foundation for national Colleges Week 2024 (26 February – 1 March) with work getting underway on several large capital investment projects. Over the last two years, Bradford College has successfully secured nearly £29 million in funding. The considerable investment will enhance, refurbish, and build new aspirational facilities in the heart of Bradford.
The ID Manchester partnership has announced plans to reactivate the Renold Building as a home for forward-thinking entrepreneurs and SMEs to develop new ideas and solutions that help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. This marks the initial phase of ID Manchester’s ambitious plan to transform The University of
NATIONAL engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask has been awarded a place on a procurement framework with the University of Cumbria, achieving the highest score of any of the bidders in the chosen lot. The opportunity was secured by the team at the firm’s Liverpool office – which specialises in civil and
SHOWCASING its commitment to educational development, multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has revealed it will be helping deliver more than 2,500 school spaces across the Bedford region over the next two years. Having worked with Bedford Borough Council for the past decade, Pick Everard is on track to assist the needs
A planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of the old primary school site at Milton Road, Oundle to accommodate a new purpose-built boarding house for Oundle School. Oundle School has a reputation for providing the very best of modern co-educational independent education, offering both boarding and day pupil provision. The School recognises the need to invest in the future of its estate to ensure that the quality of care provided to pupils, including physical and pastoral structures, is maintained to the highest standard. A key part of the School’s vision, encapsulated in Project 24, is the creation of a new purpose-built girls’ boarding house in the centre of Oundle. The new boarding house, named McMurray House in memory of David McMurray, the Headmaster who devised and oversaw the introduction of co-education, will accommodate 60 girls aged 13-18 years old who are currently located in New House on Stoke Hill, on the southwest edge of Oundle. The house will provide boarders with high quality accommodation facilities in the centre of town, enabling girls’ boarding to take its place alongside the historic boys’ town Houses. This project will also allow the School to upgrade existing provision by decanting pupils into the existing New House in order to undertake a long-term rolling programme of improvement works to existing boarding Houses. Oundle School has appointed education specialist architects, GSSArchitecture, to lead the designs of McMurray House. Anna McTaggart, Partner at GSS and Lead Architect on the scheme said, “Oundle School and town are rich in quality architecture, making this a very special place to create a new boarding House. The project provides an exciting opportunity to redevelop a derelict site to create a high-quality building which will not only benefit pupils and staff but enhance this part of the Oundle Conservation Area. “We have worked with a specialist Conservation Architect and Planner to design a modern sustainable building set in attractive landscaped grounds that complements and respects the setting and responds to the School’s vision for this exciting new addition to their estate. We are looking forward to seeing it progress in the future.” GSS have extensive experience in the Education sector, including Independent Schools, and are also supporting Oundle School with other projects including the recent remodelling of the Grade II listed Laxton Day House. To find out more about GSSArchitecture and their extensive portfolio of projects in a variety of sectors across the Midlands and further afield, please visit their website www.gssarchitecture.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
An official opening event was held on 20th March to celebrate the completion of the new sixth form building at King Ecgbert School in Dore, south-west of Sheffield. Almost a year after R G Carter first started construction on site the Lord Mayor of Sheffield Cllr Colin Ross marked the occasion with a special ribbon cutting ceremony surrounded by staff and students from the school eager and excited to start gaining the benefit of this new state-of-the-art facility. “It is with great pride that we open the new sixth form building today. It took only a year to build but the project was many years in the making, so this marks the end of a long journey. I want to pay tribute to our Director of Sixth form, Rebecca McCairns who deserves the credit, along with students, for the detailed and thoughtful interior design specifically to meet the needs of sixth form students.” says Head teacher Paul Haigh “It is exciting to consider all the future opportunities the facility will help provide for our students, inspiring them on their future journey to become the graduate professionals of the future.” Representatives from the school’s governance, Mercia Learning Trust, Sheffield City Council and members of the build and design team and R G Carter and HLM attended the official celebrations. Further to speeches, guests had the opportunity for a tour of the new sixth form and find out how the students are getting on in the early days of moving into the space. Rebecca McCairns, Director of Sixth Form at King Ecgbert School said, “This building is all about the future. It has been built for the future with its eco-friendly design and University feel. It will be a place where students genuinely want to come to study; a home away from home. It will house our future medics, lawyers, athletes, artists and hopefully teachers. It will support our current students’ futures and that of the next generation including those in our community.” Chris French, CEO of Mercia Learning Trust, said: “This new Sixth Form building embodies our commitment to providing cutting-edge educational facilities that inspire and empower our students to reach their full potential. I want to commend King Ecgbert School for their unwavering dedication and vision in bringing this project to fruition, working closely with the Local Authority, Architects, and the construction firm. The journey from concept to completion is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the school’s leadership, staff, students, and the wider community.” The new 1294 m2, one-storey building provides King Ecgbert School with a stunning, dedicated modern space for sixth form lessons, with 15 new state of the art classrooms for specialist teaching. Featuring a giant wall-to-floor glass study room, the facility was designed around the feeling of university study spaces enabling students to learn in a relaxed, adult environment with stunning views out over the south Yorkshire countryside. Students from the school worked closely with HLM Architects and the interior designers in the early stages of the building’s development to ensure the building reflected their needs and tastes. Ideas incorporated into the scheme included soft colour pallets for the classrooms, wooden flooring and the addition of quiet spaces needed by some of its students with learning difficulties. This ethos was continued throughout the construction process with Core Architects and R G Carter. Tim Owen, Senior Project Manager for R G Carter Lincoln Ltd, said: “We’re extremely proud to have been part of the successful partnership with King Ecgbert School, its Multi Academy Trust Leadership team and Sheffield City Council in delivering this outstanding new sixth form building. It has been wonderful today to see people using and enjoying the new space we have built and for the students to see how their ideas have come to life. We hope it provides both students and staff with the very best learning environment for many years to come.” Cllr Maroof Raouf, Deputy Chair of the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “It is great to see the opening of the new King Ecgbert School Sixth Form facilities in Dore.” “Having worked at a number of Sixth Form schools in the city, I know there is more pressure on school provision places than ever before. I know the opening of this new building will be a source of pride for Sheffield, symbolising the commitment we are making to rapid progress and investment in education in this city. “We have worked alongside our partners to provide the right setting for students to prepare for further and higher education, apprenticeships, or employment. We hope pupils, staff, and parents alike enjoy using these new facilities.” The Lord Mayor of Sheffield Cllr Colin Ross, who officially opened the building said, “I am very pleased to welcome this new sixth form block to King Ecgbert’s School. This is a very popular and successful school and the new facility will enable the school to increase its overall capacity and meet the demand for places. It is important that as far as possible that students can attend their local school and an increase in student numbers across the South West of the city has made this difficult to achieve without this new building.” King Ecgbert School is a large 11-18 secondary school of around 1,450 students. The sixth form currently accommodates around 380 students; with A Level and BTEC students moving into this new bespoke sixth form facility, it will enable the school to free up space within the main building, creating room for the increasing level of Year 7 intake of pupils. The facility will also enable the school to meet the demand in catchment for school places. R G Carter Lincoln Ltd secured this project under the YORBuild3 Medium Works Framework. The project is funded by Sheffield City Council. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Work has begun on an exciting £1.2 million expansion of one of Birmingham’s best performing prep schools. Two new state-of-the-art classrooms will be created at Hallfield School, on Church Road, in Edgbaston, alongside a new common room and male and female toilets. Leading development and construction company The Wigley Group has been appointed to carry out the works, which will complete in the summer. The project is part of an ongoing programme of investment at the school and adds to £4.5 million worth of funding over the last five years to enhance the educational experience for pupils of all ages. Head Master Keith Morrow said: “This exciting new scheme will transform an underutilised building which was nearing the end of its natural life and will deliver state-of-the-art, first-class facilities for all pupils, ready for our new September intake. “We were impressed with The Wigley Group’s vision and expertise to help us realise this project and are delighted to be working with them and watching the scheme take shape over the coming months.” The works will see an existing building demolished to facilitate a striking, modern single-storey new building. The two new classrooms will be interlinked by bi-fold partitioned doors which will allow the space to be used flexibly to create one large multi-use event room. Key design features include a sawtooth roof with acoustic panelling and exposed beaming to complement the existing Georgian building. Andy Higham, Construction Manager at The Wigley Group, said: “This is a fantastic project which will make a real difference to the school’s current and future pupils. “We look forward to working with the school to deliver this prestigious scheme.” Hallfield School, which celebrated its 145th anniversary in January, is one of the largest prep schools in the country and caters for more than 580 students between the ages 0-13. The Wigley Group is an ISO 45001, 9001 and 14001 certificated company based in Southam, in Warwickshire, and is active in real estate investment, development and construction, as well as asset management of portfolios for both itself and commercial partners. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new primary school is coming to Dunstall Park Estate in Tamworth and will be open to students for the start of the new school year in 2024/25. Construction works for Dunstall Park Primary School are being led by Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, on behalf of Staffordshire County Council and alongside project managers and concept architects, Entrust. The project was procured through the Constructing West Midlands (CWM) framework. Ideally located to accommodate a number of new housing developments in the area, the new one-form entry two-storey school will open its doors in September, catering for 210 primary pupils and 26 nursery places. The school also has the capacity for expansion to 315 places in the future, in line with the demand for school places generated by further housing growth. The 1,500 sq. metre state-of-the-art educational facility comprises seven classrooms, a separate nursery and practical area, an indoor school hall, staff offices and catering areas, alongside an outdoor space dedicated to a range of sporting activities. The school’s energy-efficient design prioritises daylight and natural ventilation into the building and, to ensure easy adjustment to temperature changes, high levels of insulation and thermal mass will be applied to walls and ceilings. The school will be part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), which operates ten other successful schools in Staffordshire, among its new overall total of 22. G F Tomlinson previously delivered Anna Seward Primary School in Lichfield in 2023 for the ATLP. The contractor has established liaison with the local community and will continue to keep neighbours informed of progress and plans through frequent newsletters and public consultations. A sod-cutting ceremony to mark the start of works took place at the grounds at the end of December, attended by representatives from G F Tomlinson, Staffordshire County Council, Entrust and ATLP. Demonstrating its vast experience working in the education sector to provide quality school provision, this is the tenth scheme that G F Tomlinson will deliver for Staffordshire County Council, alongside Entrust. Recent projects include the current construction of the Garden Village Primary School in Amington and the Beaconfields Primary School in Stafford, both of which commenced in autumn last year. Chris Flint, managing director of G F Tomlinson, said: “Building on our strong relationship with Staffordshire County Council and Entrust, we’re pleased to be delivering our tenth project together and our second school project for the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP). “Providing modern facilities for primary and nursery pupils, with the capacity to grow in size year-on-year, Dunstall Park Primary School is ideally placed to accommodate the children of the residents in the neighbouring housing developments, offering new, enhanced teaching.” Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price said: “This £8 million school has been planned for a number of years, and will add much-needed capacity to the local area. We always plan ahead to ensure there are enough school places to meet current and future demand. The school is taking shape already, and it was good to get on site in December to celebrate the official start of construction. I look forward to seeing this school develop over the coming months, ready to welcome pupils in September.” ATLP CEO, Richard Gill CBE said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded the new school in Tamworth, where the ATLP has built a reputation for delivering excellence in education and creating opportunities for our young people. “Dunstall Park Primary will benefit from a talented and passionate teaching and support staff who all have children at heart of everything we do.” For more information, please contact Rebecca Morris or Jennie Holland at Jennie Holland PR on gftomlinson@jenniehollandpr.com or 0115 998 3048. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plans to demolish and rebuild New Oscott Primary School in Sutton Coldfield have been approved by Birmingham City Council. Designed by CPMG Architects, the plans will transform the existing single-storey building into a purpose-built two-storey school with a sustainability specification including net zero carbon in operation. The school, located near to the historic Sutton Park, is home to more than 630 pupils with three classes per year group, alongside a 58-place nursery, and is set to offer an enhanced learning environment. This is to be achieved through a layout that has been tailored to the school’s needs, improved daylight and ventilation and a wealth of high-quality outdoor spaces to create a greater connection to nature and physical activity. Tom Ridley-Thompson, associate at CPMG Architects, said: “The New Oscott Primary School rebuild will enable a high-quality educational offering to continue. It is a highly successful school and we aim to make sure the building reflects expectations. “We know that schools built to the latest wellbeing and sustainability standards have a positive impact on student experience, so we’re pleased to be involved and helping schools reach important milestones in their journey to a new era.” The sustainability commitment is demonstrated by the use of a green roof combined with a large array of solar panels, as well as a new sustainable drainage system that will provide attenuation for surface water during heavy or prolonged rain events. The highly energy-efficient design also includes air source heat pumps, high levels of insulation and airtightness. To ensure the new school building fits into its surroundings, the brickwork at a low level matches the brickwork used in many surrounding houses. The light-coloured render at a high level also ties in with many local examples. The lightness of the finishes also helps to reduce the building overheating. Alongside CPMG Architects, the main contractor Tilbury Douglas’ project delivery team includes Hexa Consulting, David Paradine, Green Webb, Ares Consulting, Q+A Planning, Hoare Lea and OFR Consultants. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Coventry University has been awarded a grant of almost £13million to help hit its target of being net zero by 2030. The grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and delivered by Salix Finance Limited, will help towards the cost of installing around 1,300 new solar panels and connecting nine Coventry University buildings to the city’s district energy network. It is hoped the proposals could reduce the Group’s carbon emissions by more than 1,300 tonnes per year – more than a fifth of its annual carbon emissions arising from the use of fossil fuels. These works are a major part of the carbon reduction actions outlined in a strategy jointly developed over the past year with consultants Turner & Townsend. The district energy network is a 6.6km underground heat system that transports waste heat from the city’s municipal incinerator to supply energy to major public buildings and in doing so has only one sixth of the carbon emissions of natural gas. The buildings that will connect to the network are: The approximately 1,300 new solar panels will be installed at the Alma building, Cycle Works, TheHub, Sir Frank Whittle building and Elm Bank, with the latter also having new energy efficient windows installed. All the works are expected to be completed by March 2026 and will help the university to avoid grid electricity costs of more than £100,000 per year and generate zero carbon electricity for internal consumption. Professor John Latham CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said: “For many years Coventry University has been taking positive strides towards our target of net zero and this grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will help us with the next steps along that road. “Sustainable development and social responsibility are central to what we stand for and we are working to speed up society’s journey to net zero and clean growth through our excellent research and education. While we are rightly proud of the work and research we do to help tackle those issues nationally and internationally, being able to make a difference on our own campus is just as important.” Ian Rodger, Salix Director of Programmes, said: “We have a challenging journey to meet our net zero targets, and at Salix we’re privileged to work with organisations like Coventry University on this important mission. “This funding from government under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is pivotal in enabling organisations across the country to decarbonise their estates. Every day at Salix we are working to make our buildings, our environments and our communities healthier places to work and live in. “Our team at Salix looks forward to working closely with Coventry University to help them meet their net zero target.” John Bailey, associate director for sustainability at Turner & Townsend, said: “We are absolutely delighted for Coventry University receiving this funding. It has been a pleasure supporting them in their ambitious plans to net zero.” The university’s continued efforts to achieve net zero were recently recognised by the 2nd edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, placing the Group inside the top 250 universities in the world, and also saw it ranked as a Gold Tier University in the Uswitch Green University Report 2023. The recently published People & Planet University League Table, which assesses the environmental and ethical performance of UK universities, saw Coventry University retain its first class award. The university is also helping society shift to net zero through its impactful research into green battery technology, hydrogen fuel and future transport. Its commitment to tackling climate change is showcased through a number of projects, including the Clean Futures programme, which is supporting small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop new technology for green transportation in the UK, the relaunch of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), which is playing a critical step in the transition to electric transport manufacturing through innovative teaching and research, and upskilling JLR workers for the world of electric vehicles. Find out more about Coventry University’s sustainable development. About Coventry University Coventry University is a global, modern university with a mission of creating better futures. We were founded by entrepreneurs and industrialists in 1843 as the Coventry School of Design and we continue to work with businesses to ensure we provide job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking to improve their communities. With a proud tradition of innovative teaching and learning, Coventry University is now one of the largest in the UK and has world-class campus facilities, the UK’s first standalone 5G network and a digital community of learning. Our students are part of a global network that has 50,000 learners studying Coventry University degrees in more than 40 different countries and partnerships with 150 higher education providers worldwide. Over two centuries, we have flourished in our home city and Coventry University Group now also delivers access to our range of high-quality services and partnerships through bases in London, Scarborough, Belgium, Poland, Egypt, Dubai, Singapore and Africa. From September 2023, we will be teaching students at a new campus in China in a joint institution with Communication University of China. We have greatly increased our research capacity and capability with a focus on impactful research, delivered for and with partners to address real-world challenges and support the sustainable growth of business and communities. The depth and breadth of our rapidly growing research portfolio was validated by the latest UK research assessment, which saw us jump 22 places in the research power rankings. We were awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, proving we deliver excellence in what students care most about – teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. In 2022, we were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade, the UK’s most prestigious business award. In recent years, we have won many awards and vastly improved our rankings in the league tables that matter to students
Bradford College is laying the foundation for national Colleges Week 2024 (26 February – 1 March) with work getting underway on several large capital investment projects. Over the last two years, Bradford College has successfully secured nearly £29 million in funding. The considerable investment will enhance, refurbish, and build new aspirational facilities in the heart of Bradford. Three extensive Bradford College construction projects will soon take shape. Plans include: The projects form part of Bradford College’s ambitious estates strategy. The capital masterplan centres around building facilities that open up pioneering student careers which support regional economic growth. T Level Facilities A £3.5m Department for Education (T Level Capital Fund – Wave 5) investment will create a commercial barbering salon, nail bar, collaborative lecture spaces, TV studio, enhanced media editing and recording studios, outdoor dining facilities, and remodel of The Grove training restaurant. T Level qualifications are an alternative to A Levels and focus on the hands-on skills that employers need. Opening in September, these latest T Level facilities follow on from £1.3m Wave 4 funding which built impressive T Level health and early years facilities in 2023. The first phase of work incorporated five new digital teaching suites, a large collaboration science lab, a mock clinical ward, and the conversion of classrooms into inspiring indoor and outdoor nursery training rooms. Garden Mills The Garden Mills refurbishment is the result of £5.8 m funding received from The Office for Students (OfS) Higher Education Capital Fund (with a £1.1m College contribution). Bradford College was one of only five institutions nationally to receive the maximum allocation. Contractor Tilbury Douglas has finished the strip out of the 1900s five-storey building for fit-out and completion by this Summer. Garden Mills will enhance the College’s existing health science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) facilities. Higher-level HNC/HND and degree students will use this state-of-the-art building from the new academic year. It will house two new flexible laboratories, a prep room, six higher education digital IT labs, an ophthalmic dispensing suite, a clinical suite, a real-life work environment with consulting and testing booths, a collaboration area, and academic teaching spaces. Future Technologies Centre (FTC) Construction of the purpose-built FTC building will begin in the Spring following the demolition of Junction Mills and surveys by contractor, Morgan Sindall. The project was made possible thanks to £15m funding from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund (FECTF), secured in October 2022, boosted by a £2m College contribution. The FTC will be the new home of modern automotive and digital engineering curricula, such as electric/hybrid vehicles, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and digital/3D design. The Centre will be vital in supporting the growth of technology and low-carbon skills capability within West Yorkshire. The College’s Automotive and Digital Engineering Department will relocate from Bowling Back Lane to the brand-new premises once completed during the 2025/2026 academic year. Christopher Malish, Bradford College Vice Principal Finance & Corporate Services, said: “We’re thrilled to see work scaling up across our project sites after years of logistics and planning. We have an exciting year ahead as we develop sector leading facilities. This is a huge boost for the College but is also a transformative investment in Bradford city centre, that also supports the wider city centre development.“ These multi-million-pound investments will create cutting-edge learning environments for the local community, allowing the College to deliver on its mission of transforming lives. This will ensure we are at the forefront of teaching and learning, and these new capital projects will provide outstanding spaces and innovative technologies that delivers our vision of creating a better future for all through education and training.“ “These new facilities will allow the delivery of curricula designed to address the big societal challenges, enrich our local workforce, showcase a range of inspiring careers, and encourage more businesses to relocate to our environmental and socially responsible region.” Sheffield-based architects Bond Bryan opened an academy at the College’s Trinity Green Campus last year to prepare for the capital projects. The on-site team are guest lecturing, delivering workshops, offering site visits, and mentoring construction and engineering students. The academy serves as a purpose-built T Level classroom and a base from which to oversee estate projects on site. This week is the seventh annual Colleges Week celebration (26 February – 1 March), which incorporates the year-round #LoveOurColleges campaign by the Association of Colleges. Both highlight phenomenal achievements in the further education sector, with the focus in 2024 ‘influencing, engaging, and celebrating successes.’ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The ID Manchester partnership has announced plans to reactivate the Renold Building as a home for forward-thinking entrepreneurs and SMEs to develop new ideas and solutions that help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. This marks the initial phase of ID Manchester’s ambitious plan to transform The University of Manchester’s former North Campus into a welcoming and accessible new £1.7bn innovation district. The new vision for the Renold Building will celebrate its history as an educational hub by hosting the next wave of science and technology innovators and building an inclusive, purpose-driven community. The building will provide a range of coworking, office and meeting facilities to accommodate and support collaboration between researchers, entrepreneurs, businesses and partner organisations. New events and exhibition spaces, including lecture theatres and a community café, will be accessible to local businesses, community groups and arts and culture organisations to host and participate in events and activities. An application to convert the building from educational to commercial use has been submitted to Manchester City Council by joint venture partners The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech. Pending application approval, the building is set to open in late 2024. Built in 1962, the Renold Building was the first of its kind in the UK to be entirely comprised of lecture theatres and seminar rooms. It is a building of note for many due to its striking features, including the faceted facade and stair tower, and the impressive internal mural on the lower ground floor. The redevelopment will retain and protect these elements as part of the application, as well as being sympathetic to the building’s exterior facades. Design interventions in the building’s interior will also be light touch, preserving the current condition as far as practically possible. This will allow for further conservation and restoration to be undertaken at a later date, ensuring the building will remain viable for future generations. Bradley Topps, Chief Commercial Officer for Bruntwood SciTech and Project Director for ID Manchester, said: “The transformation of the Renold Building into an innovation hub marks an important first step in the development of the trailblazing science and technology ecosystem we’re building at ID Manchester. We recognise the importance of the Renold Building to many in the local community and beyond, and we are committed to reactivating the building in a way that celebrates the rich heritage and architecture of the building. We’re very excited to be creating a new home for the next generation of Manchester innovators.” John Holden, Associate Vice-President, The University of Manchester and Executive Committee Member for ID Manchester, said: “The Renold Building will be an invaluable place to bring together like-minded organisations and partners to collaborate, develop and test new ideas. We’re building our innovation ecosystem from the ground up and the Renold Building will be a place that not only accelerates the growth of our city’s most promising entrepreneurs, SMEs and university spin-outs, but also provides the spaces and opportunities to allow our local communities to participate, experience and benefit from innovation too.” The expertise and experience of ID Manchester’s respective partners will be instrumental to the creation of its innovation ecosystem. Bruntwood SciTech, a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund, is the largest dedicated property platform serving the UK’s innovation economy and brings its expertise in developing partnerships across academia, local authorities, cities and the NHS. This year marks The University of Manchester’s bicentenary, celebrating 200 years of key discoveries, world firsts and incredible people, and ID Manchester will build on this storied history of learning, innovation and research. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
NATIONAL engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask has been awarded a place on a procurement framework with the University of Cumbria, achieving the highest score of any of the bidders in the chosen lot. The opportunity was secured by the team at the firm’s Liverpool office – which specialises in civil and structural engineering – led by director Chris Pollett. The ‘Estates Multi Lot Consultancy Framework’ seeks to support a range of projects with the university including upgrades and refurbishments across students’ residences, academic buildings, public realm, sports facilities and commercial units. The four-year framework is divided into seven lots, with Rodgers Leask successful on Lot 5; structural and civil engineering. Chris Pollett, regional director at Rodgers Leask, said: “This framework brings together a bespoke list of high-level suppliers within the built environment that we are proud to be a part of. We are keen to support the university in building towards their goals for the future, and driving forward our own portfolio of public sector work especially in the north west. “The team worked hard to produce this bid in what was a rigorous tender process. We expect a good mixture of smaller and larger projects across a range of the university’s diverse estate, which will be great experience for the team. We are looking forward to bringing our expertise on board for the next four years.” The University of Cumbria is a multi-campus university, offering high quality, research-informed academic studies to around 10,000 students. The university recently outlined its ambitious 2030 strategy which includes new campus developments in Carlisle and Barrow, as well as improvements to its Lancaster campus. The university’s vision is to transform lives and livelihoods through learning, applied research and practice – for now and for our future generations. For more information on civil, structural, geo-environmental and transport engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, visit rodgersleask.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
SHOWCASING its commitment to educational development, multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has revealed it will be helping deliver more than 2,500 school spaces across the Bedford region over the next two years. Having worked with Bedford Borough Council for the past decade, Pick Everard is on track to assist the needs of an ever-growing and diverse population. The programme has a projected construction cost of more than £100 million, and includes one of the largest SEN schools in the country, the Rivertree Free School, which is set to complete in August. Delivering 200 SEN spaces, the project runs concurrently with the construction of Willow Grove Primary School in Wixams, providing 840 new primary spaces when released. An extension to Wixams Academy secondary school will also be welcomed to the community in September, delivering 900 additional spaces. Sean Conneely, director at Pick Everard, said: “We’re immensely proud of the work undertaken with Bedford Borough Council to improve school facilities and increase the number of pupil places in the region. The programme’s success has been greatly influenced by a collaborative approach with the entire delivery team, combined with our shared dedication to delivering community value.” Two further projects are also on track for completion in 2025. These include Bedford Academy creating 300 additional places and Wootton Lower School, which is undergoing conversion into a primary school; with an extra form of entry creating 300 additional places. Moving into 2026, there will be further works on Wootton Upper School turning it into a secondary school with an additional 450 pupil places. Further school extensions are in the feasibility phase. Pick Everard’s work with Bedford Borough Council has included a package of services, consisting of project management, cost management, NEC supervisor and health and safety services. The work undertaken has been procured through the SCAPE Consultancy Framework, operating under the Perfect Circle banner. Along with contractor Willmott Dixon, Bedford Borough Council and Pick Everard will take part in the Build UK Open Doors event in March, in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board and the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. The programme of works undertaken by the trio has been imbued with social value, with pupils helping design a ‘Shedspace for your Headspace’ wellbeing area at Grange Academy in Kempston last September. Sustainability has also been key, aligning with the council’s declaration of a climate emergency, with all new school buildings now being designed as net zero carbon in operation. In addition to the educational work, the relationship between Pick Everard and Bedford Borough Council has also seen it undertake cross-sector operations in the region, with healthcare centres, heritage works, residential, and commercial projects amongst its portfolio, alongside the new railway station in Wixams. Mayor of Bedford Borough, Tom Wootton, said: “We are making significant strides in addressing the need for school places in Bedford, thanks to a collaborative effort that includes the team from Pick Everard. We are focused on creating inclusive, innovative environments that will inspire learning and nurture talent. These schools are set to make an enormous difference to so many children and families for many years to come.” Matt Hall, national director at Pick Everard said: “We have a longstanding relationship with Bedford Borough Council, who have ably committed to developing and meeting community need in a number of areas. Local authorities are under immense pressure amidst cuts in spending power over the last decade, so to be able to provide our expertise and assistance, through quick-to-market and value for money procurement models, is of huge benefit. The future looks bright for the community in Bedford.” Stewart Brundell, managing director at Willmott Dixon said: “We are proud of our collaborative, ongoing relationship with both Pick Everard and Bedford Borough Council. This unified partnership has allowed us to utilise our individual expertise, knowledge and skills to deliver together a number of fantastic projects which will benefit the local community for many years to come.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
