Leading civil and structural engineering consultancy CWA Ltd has been appointed to deliver the civil and structural engineering work for the new National Transport Design Centre at Coventry University.
The Birmingham-based consultancy will work on the multi-million project on Coventry University’s Technology Park. The new facility will be a centre of design excellence to support UK innovation in the transport industry and help bridge the shortfall in creative skills in the sector.
The centre, due to open next year, is being funded through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Government’s Local Growth Deal with an initial £7 million contribution.
CWA associate Andrew Godber said the state-of-the-art NTDC would be a major new contribution to the university’s existing Centre for Mobility and Transport.
“We are excited to be involved in this important project which will include some cutting edge features, including a six metre interactive power wall allowing users to explore detailed design and engineering concepts in virtual reality, advanced clay milling facilities for creating physical models of vehicles and a projection mapping system which can cast digital images onto 3D objects – an innovative aid for designers,” he said.
David Wright, director of strategic initiatives at Coventry University, said, “Our aim with the National Transport Design Centre is to meet the demand for specialised skills, building on Coventry University’s existing expertise in transport design with a range of new courses and research programmes. Not only that, but we will be ensuring the centre is open for business for companies in the transport sector – whether automotive, rail, aerospace or marine – to work with us to help them grow.”
CWA Ltd – based in Lancaster House in Great Charles Street – was established in 2011 as Copeland Wedge Associates. The consultancy provides civil and structural design consultancy services to a wide range of sectors including leisure, residential, education, health, industrial, retail, infrastructure and public bodies.
Major clients include Willmott Dixon Construction and Housing, Balfour Beatty, Seven Capital, RO Developments, Prologis, IM Properties, Morgan Sindall, Seddon, Bullock Construction and Shropshire Housing Group.
The company has delivered buildings for major end-user clients including West Midlands Police, Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Northamptonshire County Council, Housing 21, Midland Heart, Rooftop Housing, Orbit Homes, Chevin Homes, Wrekin Housing, University of Warwick, Aston University, Coventry Sports Foundation and Marks and Spencer.