Kier Construction (East Midlands) has been awarded a £20 million contract to build an iconic facility on the University of Bedfordshire's Luton campus.

The new Postgraduate and Continuing Professional Development Centre will be a one-stop shop for postgraduate learning, equipping students with the essential employability skills they need for the marketplace.

Scheduled to open for students in February 2013, the five-storey building will provide 4,254sq m of space, including two Harvard-style lecture theatres, a café, quiet study areas and a student lounge, and will contain state-of-the art IT and audiovisual equipment.

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Designed to be environmentally friendly, the project team is aiming towards a BREEAM rating of Excellent and the building will also have minimal carbon emissions.

University of Bedfordshire deputy vice chancellor (external relations), Professor Ashraf Jawaid, who is leading the project, commented: "This will be one of the most advanced centres of its kind in the country. It will be open from 8am until 10pm providing study opportunities for full-time graduates and continuing professional development training on a part-time basis for businesses in the locality. We will be working collaboratively with businesses to develop training programmes for their people."

This is not the first time Kier has been selected by the University of Bedfordshire to carry out the development of its Luton campus. It previously built the £34m Campus Centre, which opened in 2010, and has recently completed the Fitzroy Court halls of residence, which opened in the town this autumn.

(CD)