Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) has awarded a £119 million (€143 million) construction contract to Bouygues UK, the British arm of Bouygues Construction, to deliver two educational facilities in Glamorgan, South Wales.

The Barry Waterfront Campus and the Advanced Technology Centre will be developed under the Welsh Government’s Mutual Investment Model (MIM) and are set to open their doors to students in 2027.

The Barry Waterfront Campus (BWC), to be constructed on a brownfield site, will serve as a further education and vocational training hub for up to 900 students. It will offer a broad curriculum including art and design, personal care, hospitality and catering, and hairdressing and beauty therapy. As part of its innovative, hands-on approach, the campus will feature a fully operational health and beauty salon and a restaurant, both run by students and open to the local community.

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The second facility, the Advanced Technology Centre (ATC), will be situated at Cardiff Airport and will focus on emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, advanced design, rapid prototyping, electronics, and carbon-neutral technologies. It will cater to approximately 2,000 students and house state-of-the-art resources, including an advanced composites manufacturing lab, robotics and mechatronics labs, a higher education business centre, and a “green skills house” for training in renewable technologies.

Both sites are designed to meet stringent Welsh Government decarbonisation targets and will operate as carbon-neutral facilities. The project was designed by Sheppard Robson Architects.

In partnership with the Welsh Education Partnership Company, Bouygues UK has committed to delivering significant social value alongside construction. This includes a focus on promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education and addressing skills shortages. Local contractors will be engaged throughout the build, and apprenticeship and training opportunities will be provided to boost employment and skills development in the region.

Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2025, with both projects expected to be completed by mid-2027.

Image credit: Sheppard Robson Architects