BAM appointed by Birmingham City University for specialist £41 million Health And Biomedical Suite

BAM will create the University’s £41 million new building to facilitate a range of new courses in sport and life sciences. The three storey design and build contract will establish laboratories and teaching spaces that allow the development of new courses in health, nutrition, biomedical science and sport. The spaces will provide teacher training and specialist facilities for health sciences including provision for research, a new lecture theatre, a multi-purpose hall, speech therapy, physiotherapy and ultrasound suites, art and technology classrooms and IT hubs.

BAM is also refurbishing part of the existing Seacole building and carrying out additional external works.

The facilities, on Westbourne Road, will extend the University’s practice-led learning and tackle the challenges of obesity and modern lifestyles as well as supporting elite performers.

BAM has been carrying our enabling works and is due to commence its main contract in June, completing towards the end of 2017. It is a two-stage design and build contract. The architect is Sheppard Robson, with whom BAM recently worked on an award winning complex remodelling of Hull University’s Brynmor Jones library.

Construction Director Steve Roome said: ‘Our extensive experience in this sector and our collaborative approach to construction are the critical factors in creating these very modern new facilities in a cutting edge educational field. I have a dynamic team and it is an exciting challenge for us.’

For Coventry University, BAM is creating a Science and Health building which is also highly technical.

Mr Roome added: ‘Modern University campuses are changing beyond recognition and the technology we are using to create them has also moved on significantly. We’ll be bringing a lot of that to bear on the new facilities for students and professionals here at Birmingham City University.’

Rod Stiles heads up BAM in the Midlands. The company’s recent track record in Birmingham includes the new Beorma Quarter, the refurbishment of the Barclaycard Arena, and an industrial research facility for Rolls-Royce owned CDS. It is also behind the £98 million Snowhill Three which has just commenced in earnest.

This is the third phase of moving all the University's teaching and learning to two campuses, City Centre and City South, and it forms part of the £260 million transformation of its facilities.

Professor Ian Blair, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, said:

‘Our new Health Sciences and Education building will herald a new era for Birmingham City University, allowing us to strengthen our existing education teaching and research programmes, whilst also offering a wide range of new health, nutrition and biomedical science courses. The building will also offer the highest quality facilities for both students and staff, ensuring we continue to be best equipped to provide for the next generation of public health and education professionals in the West Midlands. By moving the School of Education from its current location, we are creating a hub for the provision of public service contracts and professional development in Edgbaston. Not only will this improve the student experience with a stronger sense of community, but we will be able to offer more consistent support services and facilities.’

www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/maps-and-campuses/city-south-campus

www.bcu.ac.uk/health-sciences/facilities/our-new-building

Further information: Mark Slattery, Press and Media Manager, BAM Construct UK Ltd, 01442 238415.