Clegg Construction has started work on a new purpose-built Students’ Union building at a West Midlands university.
The Nottingham-based company has been chosen as the principal contractor for the £6.5m contract at Aston University in Birmingham on behalf of Aston Students’ Union.
The modern new build is located at the heart of the university campus and will replace the current 1960s Students’ Union building.
Designed by Robothams Architects, the two-storey steel framed building will have striking full height glazing.
Inside it will feature a range of facilities including a café, bar and restaurant, shop, social spaces, prayer room and washing facilities, games area, media room, multi-exhibition and rehearsal space and office space for the union’s student officer team and services.
Sustainability is a key factor of the new building which will include district heating, use of sustainable timbers, photovoltaic panels and a strict recycling policy – the building will also achieve an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate.
Work has started on site and it is due for completion in February 2019, with the facility due to open in Spring 2019.
Simon Blackburn, Managing Director of Clegg Construction, said: “We’re delighted to once again be appointed by Aston University having recently completed the new labs for the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies.
“This will provide a fantastic new venue for the Students’ Union.”
“As a company we have achieved a lot of success in the Higher Education sector over a number of years and really established ourselves as a market leader in this field.”
Reema Quessou, SU President 2017/18, said: “This new building will give Aston students the SU they deserve. There will be amazing spaces for students to relax and recharge, plus we’ll have fresh new facilities to transform ambition into reality. We’re so excited, and can’t wait until it opens in 2019.”
This will be the second project Clegg Construction has undertaken at Aston University in two years.
It completed the new facility for the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies in November 2017. Prior to that it carried out a £5.2m remodelling of the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s chemical engineering and applied chemistry facilities.
Clegg Construction has completed schemes for the University of Birmingham and University of Nottingham and last year the new £10.1m Science Centre for the University of Wolverhampton.