City College Norwich’s new construction skills centre is submitted for planning

Image credit: LSI Architects

Article posted on: 20 September 2023

Plans have been submitted for a new £4.4m construction skills centre at City College Norwich.

This innovative new teaching space is being provided to meet the growing demand for enrolment in construction courses offered by the College and deliver a high-quality learning environment for the students. The scheme, located on the southern side of the Ipswich Road campus, recently secured £4m in investment from the Department for Education's post-16 capacity fund.

Designed by LSI Architects, the workshop will comprise a two-storey, steel-framed building, with precast concrete floor planks at the upper levels. Sustainable design principles have guided the entire process, assessing structural options for their carbon impact at an early stage to inform decisions in the design process.

By expressing the structure throughout, limiting the number of layers in the building, and providing a rational and structurally efficient floorplate suitable for alternative layouts and uses, the building embodies circular design principles, allowing for easy adaption in the future should the needs of the College change.

Early in the project, we were engaged to provide geoenvironmental services. The site's history includes prior use as a car park, access road, and storage area, situated in an area at high risk for unexploded ordnance (UXO). Early investigations into the condition and below ground geometry of an existing retaining wall allowed the design team to adjust the position of the building and limit the impact on the adjacent college facilities.

Clancy Divisional Director Oliver Matthews commented, “We’re thrilled to collaborate with the design team on this latest scheme for City College, following our involvement in the hugely successful and award-winning Digi-Tech Building project. Having early engagement, along with an in-depth knowledge of the existing site, has been a huge advantage as we have reviewed the structural options and developed the designs for this low-carbon structure. We look forward to continuing our relationship with City College Norwich.”

Subject to planning approval, the targeted completion date for this new facility is set for September 2024.