Bouygues UK has secured the contract to build the £119 million Barry Waterfront Campus and the Advanced Technology Centre in the Vale of Glamorgan for Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC).

The project, which is being delivered through the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) programme, is set to open both campuses to students in 2027. This marks the largest project to be delivered under the MIM programme, developed by the Welsh Education Partnership Company (WEPCo).

Designed by Sheppard Robson Architects and engineered by Arup’s multi-disciplinary services, the development will begin construction in June 2025, with an expected completion date in mid-2027.

The Barry Waterfront Campus (BWC), located on a brownfield site within Barry’s Waterfront Innovation Quarter, will serve as a state-of-the-art further education facility and community college. With a capacity to accommodate up to 900 students, BWC will offer a wide range of courses, including art and design, care and independent living, as well as hospitality, catering, and hair and beauty therapy.

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In a bid to provide students with practical experience, the campus will feature active street frontages, including a hair and beauty salon and a restaurant that will be open to the public. These facilities will be run by students, offering them valuable "real-life" work experience while also providing services for the local community.

Work on the campus is set to begin in June 2025, with both campuses expected to open and be operational by 2027. The development promises to significantly enhance the educational landscape in the region, offering modern, industry-focused facilities for students.

As a prominent Net Zero Carbon in Operation development in Barry Waterfront's Innovation Quarter, the new campus is expected to become a long-term sustainable learning environment that will bring substantial community benefits.

Based at Cardiff Airport, the Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) will accommodate almost 2,000 learners (a mix of full and part time) close to CAVC's renowned International Centre for Aerospace Training (ICAT). In addition to flexible classrooms and workshops, the building will also include a Higher Education Business Centre, an advanced composites manufacturing facility, state of the art robotics and mechatronics labs and a 'green skills house'

Students will use Virtual Reality and AI and have access to rapid prototyping, 3D metal printers and autonomous drones to support their studies. Automotive students will work with both electric and hydrogen vehicles. The ATC will focus on key growth areas, including artificial intelligence, composites, rapid prototyping, advanced design, electronics and net zero carbon technologies.

Leading the project for Bouygues UK will be experienced Project Director Peter Sharpe, who has led Zone 1 of the multi-million-pound leisure, business and community health facility at Pentre Awel in Llanelli for Carmarthenshire Council. Both BWC and ATC will meet the Welsh Government’s stringent embodied carbon targets and will be Net Zero Carbon in Operation.