A 300-bed student residential scheme has officially opened at the Arts University of Bournemouth (AUB).
The £24m scheme on the institution’s Wallisdown campus, delivered by construction firm Morgan Sindall, has seen the creation of a sustainable three-tiered development as part AUB’s strategy to increase its on-site accommodation offering.
The project created 27 jobs during construction and with trainees provided with more than 700 weeks of work experience during its completion.
Morgan Sindall said it had enlisted a predominantly local supply chain with almost 90% of the work routed through SMEs based in the local area, benefitting 45 firms.
Solar panels have been mounted on the roof of the accommodation, while pedestrian and cycle routes connecting nearby areas have been created or upgraded, with improved lighting, linking Wallisdown Road and Gillett Road to Fern Barrow, and the nearby bus hub.
Morgan Sindall estimated that the work to build the scheme has created 74p of social value for every £1 of the development cost, a total of just under £20m.
The company, which has been working with AUB on its campus development for the past decade, said site team had ensured that circular economy principles were adhered to wherever possible, resulting in 94% of waste being diverted from landfill.
Clifford Kinch, area director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “Logistically challenging projects on campuses are something we’re well versed in delivering.
“But keeping this project on track through Covid-19, while working in line with government guidance, required real collaboration from the estates team, our people, all of our project partners, and our supply chain.
“It’s great to mark the official opening, now it's appropriate to do so, and everyone involved should be proud of a job well done.”
Project partners on the scheme included Perfect Circle, a company jointly owned by Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM, which provided design consultancy services, and procurement group Scape.
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