The new contract brings the total value of the contractor鈥檚 current workload for the university to nearly 拢90m. It is also building its 鈥楪reen Heart鈥� student centre and a data centre and it is converting an old gym into a teaching block.
The School of Engineering was formed by the University of Birmingham in January 2016. Its new building will also be home to a railways research centre, called the UKRRIN Rail Digital Systems Innovation Centre (DSIC).
Designed by Birmingham-based Associated Architects, the building鈥檚 interior will feature exposed structural elements such as supports, pipework and services, providing a practical display of its own engineering.
Externally, it will feature a half-brick, half-clad fa莽ade. The architects are said to have taken their inspiration from railway lines and trackside signalling to connect it to the faculty鈥檚 core specialism.
The project was procured through the Constructing West Midlands Framework and Willmott Dixon starts work in August.
Nick Gibb, deputy managing director for Willmott Dixon in the Midlands, said: 鈥淭he new School of Engineering provides a clear visual statement for the University. It will be driving interest in the STEM subjects, something that we will be supporting ourselves through the creation of opportunities for work placements.鈥�
University of Birmingham project manager Daniel Holmes said: 鈥淭his new building represents a celebration of engineering and will be a centrepiece of our new engineering hub. The ongoing collaborative relationship that we have with Willmott Dixon, along with the quality of delivery of their completed projects, gives us significant confidence that they will deliver this landmark building.鈥�
Willmott Dixon has just completed the university鈥檚 new research data centre, while the Teaching & Learning Building, now on site, is expected to be completed in 2020.
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