Hull College

Better built assets enhance access to learning and subsequent job opportunities

Providing state of the art facilities in a desirable learning environment reduces social, economic, institutional and individual barriers to access. The new facilities at Hull College are promoting successful completion of learning programmes and ensures that learners have access to learning which leads to enhanced opportunities for employment.

The College’s new Media and Performing Arts Building, Learning Resource and Student Services Centre and Specialist Learning and Childcare Centres, seek to bring prosperity to the region and its people by working in partnership with businesses and local communities. The long-term aims of the college are to stimulate the local economy by encouraging people to acquire new knowledge, training, skills and attitudes, and through their combined successes, make a significant impact to the improved social and economic contribution of the Humber region.

As part of the brief, one of the new buildings was on a site identified in the local plan as requiring a bold ‘Landmark’ building and part of the site bounded onto a conservation area. The project value was £12.5 million and was commended in the RICS Pro Yorkshire Awards 2006.

Creating solutions

We produced a cost-effective and deliverable scheme within the context of a compressed programme, which required design and planning approval and a fixed price for the work within four months of our appointment, in order to avoid loss of funding.

We instigated early risk workshops and value engineering as part of the initial design and specification process to ensure that the project remained deliverable as the design evolved, with abortive design time kept to a minimum.

We developed a tender and procurement methodology which met all of the key milestones - design, planning approval and cost certainty - by the required dates, and developed a construction phasing plan that delivered the new buildings prior to the required end dates. This enabled the College to open its new facility on time and improved much needed access to learning by the local community.

Adding value

We utilised our in-house Urban Regeneration team to identify and deliver £900,000 of additional funding from the local Urban Regeneration Company.

Our procurement methodology provided cost certainty at the first stage and involved the contractor at the secondstage to further rationalise design and incorporate enhancements at minimal cost. Final construction costs, including enhancements, were delivered within budget and under the contract sum.

Two-stage tendering allowed early cost certainty, approximately two months earlier than by a traditional approach, and early commitment to a single contractor ensured a fast start and reduced the lead period from instruction by four weeks.

Simplified approvals and reporting structure, involving governors and users, at various gateways served to facilitate prompt decision-making during design development, which ensured that project momentum was maintained.

 Download the 'Hull College' article [208kb]