Contractor Clegg Construction has completed work on an extension at De Montford University in Leicester.

The Yard is a new £3.5 million extension that will significantly increase the capacity of De Montfort University's Business and Law Faculty.

The four-storey building, which has been designed by CPMG Architects is an extension of the existing Hugh Aston building.

The ground floor is home to a Student Advice Centre and 24-hour self-study space while conferencing facilities and an external terrace can be found on the second floor, which will also be used for breakouts and activities as well as external meetings.

Tom Rigley, associate at CPMG Architects, said: "We're delighted to have worked with De Montfort University again on their latest development, having designed the Vijay Patel and the Hugh Aston buildings over the last few years. It's a great opportunity for us to showcase our expertise in educational buildings and create something special from a highly constrained site.


"We wanted to keep the design of the extension consistent with the Hugh Aston building as it nestles within its existing courtyard. This will allow the university to increase its Business and Law School capacity and create an inspiring working environment for the students to benefit from."

The building has been designed to provide students with a user friendly and comfortable space that can be easily navigated. For example, students are able to use the building 24/7 via automatic doors, a lift and two main stair routes, which provide access to all the floors with a central spine at each level to create a split between the learning facilities and the teaching areas.

Simon Blackburn, managing director at Clegg Construction, said: "Higher education has always been a key sector for us, so we are really pleased to have been appointed by De Montfort University as the principal contractor. The new extension is located in the heart of the campus and will provide valuable additional learning and teaching space for its students and staff."