Centre for Composites, Advanced Manufacture and Marine

The building was developed in association with adjacent facilities for the college's industrial partner, GKN, so it was essential the building equipped students with skills for the workplace in line with the company's requirements.

We successfully developed a modern, high quality, and environmentally sustainable facility, providing students with a hands-on learning experience to meet the needs of modern industry.

On site, there was specialised equipment for marine and composites manufacture, with specific servicing and drainage infrastructure challenges. The site required extensive connections for power and foul drainage and experienced severe surface water problems.

The project received Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) funding, posing strict limitations to the budget available. This made the project challenging due to the need for the building design to continue the branding and design aesthetic of the college's other buildings.

Spaces designed by our team provide a clear span for future proofing, with clear and flexible services distribution system. The elevational treatment of the main block follows on from the branding developed on the main campus with a combination of rendered full height elements and feature aluminium rainscreen panels.

We provided a steel frame design and an economical substructure solution, based on the results of complex soil analysis undertaken. We responded to the requirement for speed of construction and delivery within budgetary constraints.

A combination of attenuation tanks under the car park and landscaped swales met the sustainable drainage requirements.