PICK EVERARD STARTS WORK ON £14M LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE SCHEME

LEADING independent management, design and construction multi-disciplinary consultancy, Pick Everard, has started work on a £14.million refurbishment project at a Leicestershire college.

The scheme will see the extensive refurbishment of Loughborough College’s multi-storey, six-floor A-Block – housing the sixth form college – which dates back to the 1960s.

As well as being stripped out completely and refurbished, the building will be made far more energy efficient with improved lighting and will become open plan.  There will also be a new roof and replacement cladding to envelope the building.

The A-Block is one of the college’s key teaching buildings and is situated on Epinal Way in the town.

Pick Everard has been appointed as the project managers and quantity surveyors for the Leicestershire scheme.

The new project follows the previous appointment of Pick Everard by the college to deliver a £15m Loughborough Arts Academy and Hub which was completed in September, 2014.

Matt Hall, project manager for the scheme at Pick Everard, said: “We are thrilled to be re-appointed by the college to deliver another major scheme.

“The refurbishment of the block will be another significant project for the college as it looks to maximise the use of the teaching block to accommodate growing student numbers.

“The work onsite involves the complete renewal of the whole of the building, apart from its main structural walls.  It’s an extensive project with a new lay-out inside the building, new cladding and a new roof.

“Amongst our main priorities will be keeping the site live.  We have re-modelled other buildings on campus and introduced temporary accommodation so that teaching and learning will continue on site throughout the process,” Matt said.

Alastair Hamilton, partner at Pick Everard, added: “We have a strong foothold in education with vast experience and expertise in delivering projects in this sector.  A key emphasis of our work is the regeneration of buildings in local communities and this scheme will boost the education provision provided by the college for its students.”

Loughborough College vice principal Yiannis Koursis said: “The extensive refurbishment of Loughborough College’s A-Block will have a significant impact on our facilities for A-levels and service industries including hospitality, travel and aviation, hair and beauty and caring and public services. This will really transform learning for our students with the latest resources to help them fulfil their potential as they develop the skills for their future careers.

“The latest refurbishment follows our brand new Arts Academy and Hub building which opened this September, including a 250-seat theatre, music and recording studios, a dance studio, art and textile facilities and a photography studio and darkroom.”

The top three floors of the refurbished A-Block building will be dedicated to sixth form students at the college.  Two of the floors will be science laboratories for chemistry, biology and physics.  The remaining floors will be for general teaching and accommodate staff rooms too.

Pick Everard is delivering the project through the Scape framework with Willmott Dixon as the contractor for the scheme.

The building was previously used for teaching which will continue to be the primary purpose of the A-Block.

The scheme follows swiftly on from the completion of the previous £13m scheme for Loughborough College.  The hub includes the main college reception, student support services and social learning spaces.  There’s a brand new learning centre as well as a dining area and café and the purpose-built arts centre, bringing together creative arts facilities such as technology, media, art, photography, music and performing arts.

The work on the top three floors of the A-Block is due to be completed in September, 2015 and the remaining floors in October, 2015.