Willmott Dixon has been selected to build and refurbish the new Steiner Academy in Exeter.

The £7.6m project, on Cowley Bridge Road, will see Willmott Dixon construct a 4,707 m2 two-storey facility alongside delivering a full refurbishment to Thomas Hall, the grade II listed building that was formerly a university hall of residence.

In addition, the project will include construction of a separate hall and kitchen, six kindergarten classrooms, new car parks and landscaping of the grounds. Steiner Academy Exeter will open in September 2015 and accommodate 624 full-time students aged between four and 16 years old.

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Neal Stephens, managing director at Willmott Dixon in the South West, said: "This project is really exciting for us. It combines the heritage of the beautiful Thomas Hall built in the 1630s, with the modern vision of the new state-of-the-art school building.

"We've worked on a variety of projects in the education sector, but none quite like this. The site covers almost 13 acres of existing ground with more than 200 trees and lots of wildlife, including birds, deer and badgers. The complexities of working on a live environment will be a main focus for us with close liaison with the whole project team."

The project is funded by the Educating Funding Agency and procured through the LHC framework.

(CD/JP)