An artist’s impression of the new building

Kier has been appointed by the London South East Colleges (LSEC) to redevelop its Greenwich campus.

As part of the project, which has an overall value of £47m, Kier has been awarded a contract which will see the existing buildings demolished and a state-of-the-art educational facility constructed.

Awarded through the Procure Partnership Framework, the 5,654sq m, five-storey college will provide new facilities that are specifically designed to support learning.

Alongside classrooms, there will be wellbeing spaces and a student welfare area, as well as specialist rooms to aid student interests, including a Mac studio, a training kitchen, and learning resource centre.

The design of the college has a sustainability focus, with a BREAAM ‘Outstanding’ rating being targeted.

The building will include rooftop air source heat pumps combined with a highly-efficient ambient loop heating and cooling system.

On the roof an array of photovoltaic panels are combined with an intensive solar green roofing system.

The campus will remain open and operational throughout the construction work.

“We are delighted that London South East Colleges has appointed us to help regenerate its Greenwich campus,” said David Rowsell, managing director of Kier Construction London.

“This will be a new state-of-the-art facility, with a range of sustainability features included, which we are well placed to deliver thanks to our Kier end-to-end capabilities, including in-house design, decarbonisation, and MEP engineering expertise, and our extensive technical experience.

“We know how important this college is to the people of Greenwich and the local community, and we look forward to providing them with a new campus building which will support learning for local students.”

In addition to the new building, 294 homes are being built on the site with 50% designated as affordable housing.

The £47m project is being supported by the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority, and the Department for Education (DfE).

“In 2016, we made a commitment to deliver a new college in Greenwich and I am delighted to have reached this important milestone today,” said Dr Sam Parrett CBE, group principal and chief executive of London South East Colleges.

“This has been quite a journey, which has only been possible with the support and commitment of a wide range of stakeholders – including the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority, and the DfE.

“Together with our partners Kier and L&Q, this is a unique example of a highly-effective local partnership, working together to meet the diverse needs of the community.

“It will provide future generations with the skills and opportunities they need to secure great careers, meeting the evolving needs of employers across the region.”

Chris Witterick, key account manager at Procure Partnerships Framework, added: “The Greenwich campus redevelopment represents a crucial step in the London South East Colleges (LSEC) commitment to providing high-quality education facilities and contributing to the regeneration of Greenwich.”