BAM has reached a milestone on a £41 million development for Birmingham City University.

The contractor has held a topping out ceremony to mark the installation of the last beam on the new Health Sciences and Education building, a new 10,500m² extension being built on Westbourne Road in Edgbaston.

Designed by architects Sheppard Robson, the building forms part of the University's City South Campus extension and will enable the relocation of the University's School of Education, consolidating the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences on to one site.

The site will offer teacher training and specialist facilities for health sciences including provision for research, a new lecture theatre, a multi-purpose hall, speech therapy, physiotherapy and ultrasound suites, art and technology classrooms and IT hubs.

Overall, the project is part of the University's £260 million investment into new modern facilities, which will be strengthened with the opening of the new £57 million Birmingham Conservatoire later this year.


As part of the project, students from the University's Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment have been working alongside BAM to gain experience of working in the construction industry.

Speaking at the topping out ceremony, Professor Graham Upton, Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham City University, said: "Today (04 May) marks an exciting new chapter in the University's long and proud history. Not only will this new building allow us to strengthen our existing education teaching and research programmes, we will also be offering a wide range of new health, nutrition and biomedical science courses.

"The new Health Sciences and Education building offers students and staff the highest quality facilities available to ensure that we are best equipped to provide for the next generation of public health and education professionals in the West Midlands.

"The new building also strengthens our student experience and University community by allowing us to house our health and education offerings on one site for the first time. In doing so, we are creating a significant hub for our public service contracts and professional development provision in Edgbaston, offering more consistent support services and facilities for both students and staff."

Colin Harper, BAM Project Manager, said: "This could be Birmingham's most advanced construction scheme. Our sector is undergoing a quiet technical revolution. Digital techniques are helping us and our supply chain deliver both the speed and quality we need for complex modern buildings, like this one for Birmingham City University.

"It is especially pleasing this is happening on a higher education project, thus demonstrating the future to our next generation of construction professionals."

The new development is set to open in 2018.

(LM)