The University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol has selected UK-based construction company BAM to build its new engineering building at the new Bristol Business School on the Frenchay Campus.
In addition to the teaching and research facilities such as engine test cells, wind tunnels and dedicated learning spaces, the new engineering complex will include a wide range of engineering disciplines such as composite manufacturing, machining and metrology.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The building will be built to accommodate more than 1,600 undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as 100 academic and technical staff personnel.
BAM construction director Craig Allen said: “This excellent win was against strong competition under the Southern Construction Framework. Our success builds on an established relationship with UWE for whom we completed the Student Union and Enterprise Zone buildings.
“This building will attract future engineers, responding to emerging demand for degree apprenticeships in engineering.
“The building will support our move to collaborative, problem-based learning, enabling our students to develop the skills that the UK industry requires to remain at the forefront of advancements in engineering.”
BAM is planning to begin construction later this year, and open the building for students and staff by 2020.
The new 8,500m² engineering building will also enable the faculty to respond to the emerging demand for degree apprenticeships in engineering, as well as support the government’s commitment to increasing the number of young people studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
UWE Bristol environment and technology deputy dean Tod Burton said: “There is a shortage of engineers in the region and UWE Bristol are responding to this demand by delivering a practice-based curriculum that will produce graduates equipped with the right industry skills, experience and knowledge.”
