ISG has been awarded two projects at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds, with a combined value of £7.8 million. The most high profile of these awards is the brief to create a stunning new £7 million teaching block at the entrance to the main Out Risbygate campus site.

Both schemes form part of the college's overall masterplan to further enhance teaching facilities across its two main sites in Bury St Edmunds. Creating a purpose-built hub for the college, the new three-storey concrete framed teaching block is set to provide 3,600 sq m of accommodation, with high specification classrooms, tutorial facilities, student support and recreational areas.

Designed to reflect the architectural style of surrounding buildings on the campus, the new Further Education block will showcase the college's sustainable ambitions and incorporates high performance building materials and a biomass boiler. Featuring a large atrium to maximise the volume of natural light entering the building, the structure also makes extensive use of curtain walling to its façade to reduce the requirement for artificial lighting.

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Externally, ISG will carry out extensive landscaping, creating a sustainable urban drainage system to regulate the volume of surface run off entering natural watercourses. The contractor is also tasked with remodelling the existing car parking provision as part of the project.

During the ten-month new build programme, ISG will additionally deliver a programme of general refurbishment works to the college’s Higher Education facilities during an £800,000 upgrade. Operating across a live campus environment, ISG has worked closely with staff to develop a workable programme that delivers to expectations whilst minimising the potential impact of these essential works on students.

ISG's Phillip Allerton, managing director – East, commented: "What we are providing at West Suffolk College is a full turnkey delivery solution following an extensive value engineering exercise to help the scheme meet budgetary constraints. Colleges face the challenge of balancing reduced public funding with the need to invest to attract students, and this scenario is where the influence of contractors with sector-specific expertise is increasingly important. Our ability to offer both quality and value, while maintaining continuity of college operations, proved a critical element in ISG securing this high profile contract."

(CD)