Award-winning Oxford-based contractor Willmott Dixon has been appointed to University of Oxford’s £1.5bn framework, contributing to the university’s ambitious estates plans.
Willmott Dixon has delivered significant projects across Oxfordshire including the RAL Space facility at the Harwell Science Campus and numerous residential projects for Oxford City Council. Now, through the framework, the contractor will be delivering projects for the university with a value between £5m to £20m alongside other contractors.
Projects on the framework will include a mixture of new developments and the refurbishment of some of the university’s existing 237 buildings. A quarter of these are listed assets, with a third built before 1840.
Director at Willmott Dixon, David McCallion, who will be leading projects on the framework, said: “We have a number of offices nationally and are proud to be based in Oxford as the local area is steeped in a rich history and continues to be at the heart of state-of-the-art research. We are currently working with Oxford Children’s Hospital to relocate and expand Ronald McDonald House and expect to complete this project next year.
“This appointment marks a significant milestone for us and we are delighted to be building a strong relationship with the University of Oxford. My team and I are looking forward to delivering high quality, future-proof facilities for the university.”
Community engagement plays a large role in all of Willmott Dixon’s projects, the contractor was recently awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of Promoting Opportunity. Willmott Dixon is committed to 10% social return on investment as measured against total contract value, meaning it is able to make a tangible impact on the lives of local people.
Similarly, the contractor worked closely with Oxford UTC last year as part of its Enrichment Programme, which is designed to develop student’s personal and professional skills including communication, teamwork, problem solving and leadership. As part of Willmott Dixon’s involvement on the framework, it hopes to widen participation in Oxfordshire.
