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Iconic building starts to take shape

With the groundwork and foundations now complete, the next phase of building º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s £20m flagship teaching development is now underway.

The shape of the world class teaching centre is beginning to unfold as the huge steel structure for the iconic building is put in place and begins to grace the skyline at the centre of the University campus. The steel frame and structure will be fully in place by the end of December with the completion of the fourth floor and roof.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ is investing heavily on improving the student experience with a £30m campus heart development, which includes the £20m new teaching and learning building and extensive landscaping, the refurbishment of the Students’ Union and a major multi-million pound investment in facilities for the scientists and engineers of the future in the School of Science & Engineering’s Orion Building.

Innovative environmentally friendly features are to be an integral part of the campus heart development.

Underground pipes will form the basis of a unique Earth Duct System for the new building which will use a fifth of the energy of a normal fan system. A rainwater harvesting tank will be put in place which can collect up to 8,000 litres of rainwater to re-use, reducing the water usage of the building.

The roof of the new building will have PV panels which will be able to generate re-usable energy.

In addition, there will be exposed concrete soffits to provide assistance in cooling and heating as well as a building management system to ensure efficient heating, cooling and ventilation and to enable monitoring of energy consumption, energy efficient lighting and controls.

Malcolm Page, Chief Operating Officer at º£½ÇÖ±²¥, said: 'Not only will the new building be a stunning and vibrant focal point at the heart of the campus, but the range of environmental features which have been planned and put in place will reinforce our long-standing commitment to helping the environment.'

Mark Sanderson, Project Manager for BAM, added: 'This flagship building will make a huge impact on the University campus and creating a facility with strong and innovative environmentally friendly features has been a priority for both BAM and º£½ÇÖ±²¥.'

BAM recently achieved an impressive 43 out of 50 on its Considerate Constructors Scheme report in relation to the new building – with 35 being the industry average.

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