Following Kier’s successful completion and handover of London South East Colleges’ (LSEC) new Greenwich Campus, the project has achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating - a major sustainability milestone in the further education sector.
Delivered through the Procure Partnerships Framework, the £45m five-storey building was delivered in partnership with LSEC, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority, the Department for Education and L&Q.
Designed by Associated Architects with sustainability at its core, the ‘BREAAM Outstanding’ campus features roof-mounted air source heat pumps combined with a highly efficient ambient loop heating and cooling system.
An extensive array of photovoltaic panels sits alongside an intensive solar green roofing system, helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy performance.
With the existing campus remaining open and operational throughout the project - and located close to one of east London’s busiest roads - the 5,654 sqm redevelopment involved the demolition of outdated facilities and the construction of a state of the art campus designed to support modern learning, wellbeing and community engagement.
Alongside modern classrooms and flexible teaching spaces, the new campus includes new wellbeing spaces and a student welfare area, as well as specialist rooms to aid student interests, including a collaborative Mac studio, a training kitchen and a learning resource centre for research and self-directed studies.
Dr Sam Parrett, Group Principal and CEO, London South East Colleges, said: “We are absolutely delighted with our outstanding new campus. When we took on the college a decade ago, we committed to securing its future - recognising the importance of it as a training and skills provider for our local communities.
“We are hugely grateful to the many partners who have helped make this happen, including the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the GLA, the DfE, L&Q, our contractor Kier and the many other professional construction partners. We have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming students onto the site over the summer term. “
John Bolton, regional director, Kier Construction London & Thames Valley, comments: “We are privileged to have partnered with LSEC, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the GLA, the DfE, L&Q, Associated Architects, CPW and Dowds to support the regeneration of its Greenwich campus.
“This college plays a vital role for the people of Greenwich and the wider community, and we are proud to have delivered a new highly-sustainable campus building that will enhance learning for local students and provide high-quality skills and training aligned to the digital and green industries shaping the local economy.”
Supporting the college’s commitment to protecting further education in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the project team and supply chain has helped generate 33 employment opportunities, with 3,000 people benefitting from the educational outreach programme, and £50,000 donated to VCSEs and community fundraising initiatives.
This is the latest appointment for Kier on the Procure Partnerships Framework and further strengthens the company's position as a leading provider of educational facilities across the UK.
More recently, this includes the award-winning Passivhaus school in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Mulberry Academy London Dock; the new Carew Academy for students with additional and complex learning needs in Croydon; Pinn River SEND school in Hillingdon; and the multi-award winning Greenwood Centre, a resource and community centre that is run by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities.
