Teesside University has marked a construction milestone in the development of its new Digital Life building, with a signing ceremony celebrating the installation of the final piece of steel.

The £40m ($50.54m) project, situated on the Middlesbrough campus, is said to be a central element of the University's School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies.

Anticipated to be completed by early 2025, the building is part of Teesside University's Campus Masterplan, which has already seen an investment of over £300m.

This project is the fourth to be delivered in partnership with Wates Construction as part of the masterplan.

The construction company announced its appointment for this project in February this year.

Wates Yorkshire and North East Construction regional director David Wingfield said: “With the final steel now in place, you can get a true sense of how the Digital Life building will fit into the campus as a whole, and what an asset it will be for the University.

“Working on campus for so many years now, we’ve seen the positive impact that each new facility makes, whether that be on the student body and faculty, or to the wider Teesside region through Social Value initiatives. We’re incredibly proud of not only the Digital Life project but the overall partnership we’ve built with Teesside University, our delivery partners and supply chain.”

The facility will feature smart labs, digital art studios, a multi-functional lecture theatre, and an events space.

It is designed to provide an industry-quality digital studio experience for students as well as for businesses and visitors.

It will feature screens, cameras, and lighting that can be controlled from any location within the premises, enabling shared, streamed, and broadcast content through centrally controlled software.

The building will further have holographic displays, allowing presenters from around the world to interact with students at Teesside University.

Additionally, a digital twin of the building will facilitate remote attendance of events and activities through virtual and extended reality experiences.

The building will also have classrooms and learning spaces with technology.

A large event space is included in the design to host various events within the academic calendar.