Site Logo
Work continues at pace on sustainable construction skills centre

Work on the Sustainable Construction Skills Centre for the University College Birmingham is making excellent progress, with scaffolding due to be removed by contractors GMI in the coming weeks. The Centre, located in the James Cond former printworks in the centre of Birmingham, will be home to the University’s specialist courses in modular methods of construction, retrofit and green technologies from September 2023. The courses will support the region’s growth areas, including sustainable construction methods and renewable energy. Michael Harkin, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of University College Birmingham, said of the site progress: “Having made such a headway with construction, we’re now looking forward to the completion of the site, ready for our first intake of students in September 2023. “This crucial skills centre is part of our wider plans in developing our provision to meet regional skills demands and deliver future industry-ready graduates.” Located in the Jewellery Quarter, the regeneration of the James Cond former printworks will honour the area’s heritage and the historic art deco printworks facility that was originally built in the 1930s. Rosa Wells, Executive Dean of the School of Engineering, Digital and Sustainable Construction said: “It is exciting to see the progress on the Sustainable Construction Skills Centre; the building is being sensitively restored to maintain many of the original features and architecture incorporating innovative retrofit ideas alongside heritage building techniques. “This makes it a unique skills centre for our construction students to learn in - the fabric of the building will naturally create learning opportunities and reinforce the importance of embracing sustainable construction methods.” The regeneration of the Sustainable Construction Skills Centre is part of a £160 million investment in University College Birmingham’s campuses and learning facilities, which includes Camden House and the award-winning McIntyre House and Moss House.

Related Stories
TG Escapes providing free building designs to support future CIF bids.
Not every Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) bid can be successful and many schools will be disappointed with the outcome of the latest round. If you are planning to apply for the next 2020/21 round of CIF bids, then TG Escapes can help strengthen your application by providing free architectural designs.
Modular classrooms delivered for Myton School LINC
Myton School were in desperate need of a new Learning, Inclusion and Nurture Centre (LINC). The school had a vision for inclusive learning to better serve the challenging and varied needs of their pupils, but this vision simply couldn’t be delivered in the facilities they had available. Their existing LINC building was a converted music room with unsuitable layout and access for disabled pupils. The school used a number of different means to solve its problem. The funding for the project was secured in p...
How a former landfill site was transformed into two new schools
Gavin Davis, Operations Director at Wates Construction, outlines how they tackled one of their most testing remediation challenges in recent years to create a successful school
New primary for Wellingborough
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE County Council has submitted a planning application for a new primary school on Irthlingborough Road at the heart of the new Stanton Cross community.
Expansion for Middlesborough College’s STEM centre
SURGO Construction has begun work on a second key multi-million-pound project for Middlesbrough College.

Login / Sign up