News - Contractor Announced for Next Phase of Development at Cornwalls Flagship University Campus
University College Falmouth (UCF) and the University of Exeter (UoE), who share and jointly manage the Tremough Campus in Penryn, Cornwall, have announced the appointment of UK contractor, Leadbitter Group, to undertake the next phase of development at the flagship site.
With a combined value of £49M, this contract will include the construction of three major projects - UCF's Academy for Innovation & Research, UoE's Environment and Sustainability Institute, and an innovative space called The Exchange, that will significantly enhance the learning and teaching experience for staff and students from both institutions.
These projects - which are all supported by substantial European Regional Development Fund Convergence investment - represent a further significant phase of development at the Tremough Campus, in line with the institutions' collective vision to create a world-class campus for Cornwall.
UCF's Academy for Innovation & Research (AIR) is a £9M multi-disciplinary research and development laboratory that will share its specialist expertise in sustainable design and the digital economy with innovative Cornish companies. This will enable these companies to achieve their full potential by developing new products and services, new routes to market and new relationships with both investors and suppliers at a regional, national and international level.
AIR is due to open in Spring 2012 and is being funded by the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme (£6.74M), the South West Regional Development Agency's Single Pot Fund (£1.554M) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (£693K).
UoE's Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) is a £30M interdisciplinary centre leading cutting-edge research into the impacts of environmental change and the mitigation and management of its effects. The ESI has three research themes: clean technologies, natural environment and social science and sustainability. It will engage with hundreds of businesses in Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and beyond to translate its research and expertise across these themes into innovative business practice, products and services.
The ESI building will have BREEAM 'outstanding' status, the highest classification available under the BRE Environmental Assessment Method, which is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. There are currently only seven complete buildings with BREEAM 'outstanding' classification in the UK and none in the South West.
The ESI is due to open in Autumn 2012 and is being funded by the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme (£22.9M) and the South West Regional Development Agency (£6.6M), as well as receiving significant support from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
The Exchange represents a £10M investment in learning, teaching and research facilities that will increase the capacity of the existing Learning Resource Centre at the Tremough Campus and support the planned growth of the institutions' combined student population at the Penryn site from 4000 to 5000 by 2016.
The Exchange will provide pioneering spaces that reflect the needs of 21st century students from a social street and collaborative lecture theatre to a learning lab for ideas exploration, eddy spaces for small group learning and exhibition areas for the display of work.
The Exchange is due to open in Autumn 2012 and is being funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (£4.37M), the European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme (£3M), the South West Regional Development Agency (£1M) and a combined investment of almost £2M from UCF and UoE.
"UCF is delighted to be working with Leadbitter again following their recent construction of another exceptional shared learning and teaching space at the Tremough Campus - the Peter Lanyon Building - and UCF's recently launched £19M Performance Centre, " commented UCF's Rector & Chief Executive, Professor Anne Carlisle. "These projects will not only help to position UCF as one of the top five arts institutes in the world and further demonstrate our commitment to investing significantly in providing a world-class student experience, but will also create jobs and stimulate the regional economy. This is positive news for students, for the construction industry, for Falmouth and Cornwall, particularly when other institutions are being forced to cut back in these austere times."
Professor Mark Overton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Exeter said: "These construction projects mark an exciting new phase in the development of the Tremough Campus which will bring a huge benefit to the region. Our Environment and Sustainability Institute will be at the forefront of sustainable building design, reflecting its status as a world-class centre for research into environmental change, and engagement with business. We look forward to working with Leadbitter to see the ESI and the other Tremough projects become a reality."
Rob Bradley, Regional Director for Leadbitter's Western Construction division, said: "We are delighted to continue our relationship with University College Falmouth and the University of Exeter at the Tremough Campus. Our team is looking forward to delivering these three exciting projects over the next 18 months and to the students, staff and local businesses benefiting from these fantastic new buildings in 2012."
The University of Exeter and University College Falmouth are founding partners in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique collaboration between six universities and colleges to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One and Convergence), the South West Regional Development Agency and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall Council.
The two institutions share and jointly manage the Tremough Campus - the flagship Higher Education hub of the CUC partnership - in an arrangement that is unique in the UK.
The Leadbitter Group is also the contractor for Cornwall Council's Tremough Innovation Centre (TIC), which is being constructed on land adjacent to the Tremough Campus. The TIC is due to be completed in Autumn 2011 and will provide excellent facilities and resources to help existing and start-up companies to grow and thrive.