Iconic piece of Jewellery Quarter heritage transformed
CPW have helped transform the beautiful 1920s James Cond building into a sustainable construction training facility for University College Birmingham.
The new Centre for Sustainable Construction offers state-of-the-art courses and facilities specifically designed to train learners with skills that support employers and their supply chains.
CPW was the mechanical and electrical consultant for the project, which required all new services, improved ventilation and new power requirements. Air source heat pumps were installed to provide a more eco-friendly heating solution, while solar panels were added to the roof to provide an additional renewable energy source to the building.
Antonios Agapakis, Director, CPW said: “The James Cond redevelopment and decarbonisation has enabled us to restore an iconic piece of the Jewellery Quarter’s heritage to not only modern standards, but to a highly sustainable and energy efficient building, achieving EPC A rating. Sustainable engineering and construction skills are more in demand than ever; this facility will help train the next generation in the city to design, build and maintain buildings in a way that’s better for the environment and our future. We are so pleased that our own trainees will be able to benefit from this brilliant facility.”
Neil Hughes, Director of Estates and Facilities, University College Birmingham, said: “It was a pleasure to work with CPW on this project. They have listened to the University and brought the sustainable features of the refurbishment to life, raising to meet the aspirations of the building’s end use as a sustainable construction training centre. We are delighted to see the building meet such a high energy efficiency rating and benefit from air source heat pump technology and solar panels to offset the energy usage. The technical support we have received from the team has been outstanding and we look forward to working with them on future decarbonisation projects.”
The iconic art deco building was originally a printworks, but had more recently become a covered car park with disused office spaces. It was important to bring the space back to its former glory, honouring the area’s heritage while maximising sustainable features to make this building ready for a modern world. The facility is expected to support more than 1,200 learners by 2025 and includes:
Training rigs
Retrofit zone
Housebuilding zone
Enhanced IT facilities
Glulam workshops
Modular building workshop
Bench joinery workshops
BIM labs
CAD studios
Modern methods of construction workshop
Green technologies workshop
Find out more about our other Education projects.