Stepnell has started work to build a new £5.6 million building for Nottingham Trent University.

The contractor is developing a six-storey facility for the University's Confetti Institute of Creative Technology on the corner of Lower Parliament Street and Convent Street. Completion is scheduled for summer 2018.

Designed by Allan Joyce Architects, features will include teaching spaces, a café, library, courtyard and a rooftop terrace. Externally, the building will be clad in Cor-Ten steel and dark brickwork, echoing the appearance of existing industrial buildings on the Confetti campus. It also features an environmentally-friendly green ‘living roof' area, made up of plants to reduce storm water run-off and provide a wildlife habitat.

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Overall, the building will enable Confetti to teach an additional 700 students over the next five years.

Edward Peck, vice-chancellor, Nottingham Trent University, said: "I am delighted to be able to confirm NTU's support for this initiative. I very much view this development as our 'Creative Quarter Campus'. It will expand Confetti's further and higher education offer, increase the number of course options available to students and will generate positive social and economic benefits, not just for the students fortunate enough to study there, but for creative businesses within Antenna and Nottingham's Creative Quarter."

Stepnell's operations and commercial manager Thomas Sewell added: "We're thrilled to be working on this high-profile scheme, drawing on our wide-ranging expertise in creating state-of-the-art educational buildings for the further and higher education sectors.

"As a local firm, we're also proud to be helping support the expansion of this leading centre for the creative industries as well as providing superb new facilities for students and teaching staff. Our team will use their logistical planning skills and extensive experience of operating in ‘live' settings and in sensitive locations to ensure that the work goes ahead with the least possible disruption at this busy city centre site."

(LM/MH)