A Summer of Transformation Projects Provides Big Boost for Bradford’s Education and Training Offering
While the students were away on their summer break, design and construction teams have been working hard at Bradford College to unveil a wealth of new facilities.
Mechanical and electrical engineering and sustainability consultancy CPW has been one of the design team members working to bring to life five of the transformational projects, ensuring the buildings meet the high sustainability requirements of the College.
Gareth Moad, Director at CPW, said: “The recent work has been a huge undertaking for the College that stands to inspire and enrich the local community, and it’s fantastic to have been part of the process. All the design and construction teams involved have worked incredibly hard to transform these buildings in time for the new academic year. We at CPW are pleased to be able to put sustainability at the heart of these designs and support the College on their route to decarbonisation.”
One way in which the College sought to act more sustainably was by refurbishing a derelict building, saving on the embodied carbon of a new build and restoring a piece of local history. The Garden Mills project saw a previously mothballed Victorian textile factory brought back to life to bolster the College’s health science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) facilities. The five-storey building includes:
cutting-edge dental facilities,
a prep room,
six digital IT labs,
an ophthalmic dispensing suite,
a clinical suite,
a real-life work environment with consulting and testing booths,
a collaboration area,
and academic teaching spaces.
Alongside the Garden Mills refurbishment, both the David Hockney Building and Horton Building (formerly the Advanced Technology Centre) have undergone remodelling. CPW and the wider design and construction team have transformed an area of the David Hockney Building to create a dedicated T Level facility, aiming to provide the hands-on training that local employers are searching for. This includes new lecture and classroom spaces, new hair and beauty salon facilities, a refurbishment of the College’s restaurant and a new TV studio and editing and sound suites. With growing demand for student places, the Horton Building remodelling created more space for Progression to Learning and Work learners and includes fantastic new catering facilities, an art room, a beauty room, a hairdressing room and a science lab.
This summer also saw the demolition of the derelict Junction Mills building to make way for the next stage of this ambitious estates strategy – The Future Technologies Centre. This centre will be the new home of modern automotive and digital engineering curricula, such as electric/hybrid vehicles and advanced manufacturing. The Centre will be vital in supporting the growth of low-carbon skills capability within West Yorkshire.
To accommodate the increased energy demand from these new developments and futureproof the electrical supply, a new substation has been installed.
“Many educational institutions are looking to move towards zero carbon operations,” Gareth Moad said, “however their building stock is often ageing, draughty and inefficient, making decarbonisation a real challenge. At CPW our goal is to help these institutions tackle their carbon emissions by systematically reviewing building stock, implementing holistic master planning that prioritises efficiency and sustainability and ensuring a reliable energy supply to meet demands now and in the future, incorporating renewable energy wherever possible.
”Bradford College’s estates plan is exciting and forward-thinking. We have loved working with the team and having the opportunity to breathe new life into buildings with real historical significance.”