New project award builds on recent success! – July 2012
Ashe Construction has been appointed to construct the new £1.5m Construction Workshop facility at Cambridge Regional College.
The £1.5m project award at the further education college’s Science Park Campus means that trainee bricklayers and plasterers will no longer have to learn their trade from a temporary marquee structure. The new building is designed for in excess of 100 students and six staff and will replace the framed marquee which has provided a temporary teaching facility for several years.
The new, double height, single-storey building will provide around 1,000m² of space, with a large workshop area incorporating a mezzanine floor at one end, including classroom and office accommodation, changing rooms and toilets. An external work area will include facilities for both building at height and for laying foundation brickwork.
The contemporary, crisp design by designers Pick Everard incorporates renewables to include biomass, plus a roof providing scope for photovoltaic installation. Special measures will also be taken to insulate the building against road noise from the A14 which runs close to the campus.
Pick Everard has worked on several previous schemes with the college and Ashe Construction are delighted to be joining forces with them on this design & Build scheme.
Trevor Smith, the Head of Facilities & Estates at Cambridge Regional College said: “This much needed facility will further enhance our already impressive estate and will provide a bespoke Construction Workshop with ’BREEAM Excellent’ credentials giving our brickwork and plastering students a first class learning experience.”
Mike Pole, Pick Everard’s architect leading the Construction Workshop project, said this scheme would further support college development. “Cambridge Regional College comprises a campus of high quality, state of the art teaching facilities. The Construction Workshop building forms a valuable addition and, in this instance, replaces temporary and far from ideal accommodation. We are very much looking forward to delivering the facilities that will enhance training, helping students towards a successful career.”
Andrew Morris, Ashe Construction’s business development director said “We have recently completed a £5.2m Innovation and Technology Centre for Milton Keynes College in Milton Keynes, which included construction facilities for brickwork, carpentry, plumbing and renewable energy installation training, as well as design and engineering courses. This project exceeded our clients expectations on every level and we are keen to show Cambridge Regional College what we are capable of achieving.”
Work is scheduled to start at the end of July with project completion in April 2013.