More than £70 million is being invested in new construction works, upgrades and refurbishments across the University of Huddersfield's campus.

The University's department of Estates and Facilities is overseeing a host of small to large schemes under the £71m programme, including a £30m project being delivered by Morgan Sindall to create a new home for the study of art, design and architecture, the Barbara Hepworth Building. Completion on the development is scheduled for July next year.

In addition, a £2m transformation of a listed building from the 1950s is underway, which will create a new art café including exhibition space for student work, and retaining many of the building's original features.


A new £18.2m science block is also being delivered by BAM, with labs dedicated to the study of biology, chemistry and optometry. The building will be ready by July 2019.

Elsewhere, contractor Britcon is building a new £2m electricity substation, while other projects underway include £500,000 of improvements to the University's Library, undertaken by Huddersfield contractor Illingworth and Gregory, with £500,000 of upgrades being delivered to lifts in three of the University's main buildings by contractor Jackson Lifts.

A £100,000 scheme designed by architects Jefferson Sheard will also being a car park at Wakefield Road, adjacent to the Schwann and Oastler buildings, back into use, featuring a number of electric vehicle charging points.

Image: CGI of Barbara Hepworth Building.

(LM)