Focus Consultants has been appointed to support Nottingham Trent University on some of its latest developments at the university’s rural Brackenhurst Campus.
As well as building a new flagship reception and environment centre, which will act as the new ‘heart of the campus’, construction has also started on new accommodation blocks, augmenting the campus’s on-site residential capacity.
Focus has been appointed as the BREEAM Assessor and the BREEAM Accredited Professional, providing the design and construction teams of the accommodation facilities with expert advice on built environment sustainability, environmental design and environmental assessment. In line with the University’s policy for new build projects, the development is aiming to achieve a rating of BREEAM “Excellent”.
The new accommodation, comprising six three-storey blocks, will be split over two sites on the campus and provide living quarters for an additional 190+ students available from the 2019/20 academic year. The development will provide “cluster flat” style accommodation for the campus students, with six individual en-suite bedrooms and shared kitchen, dining and chillout areas to each cluster.
As part of the project, special wildlife crossing points will be fitted under new gravel pathways as the campus is home to a variety of wildlife, including a large great crested newt population.
Focus Consultants’ appointment on the new residences continues a number of successful years working with Nottingham Trent University as BREEAM Assessor and Sustainability Consultant, including certifying the Brackenhurst Campus Eco Library, which also achieved a BREEAM rating of “Excellent”.
Senior sustainability consultant at Focus Consultants Jessica Bullers said: “It’s great to be back working at Brackenhurst with NTU; it’s fantastic to see the changes happening at the campus, and it’s easy to see here why the university is well recognised for being the one of UK’s ‘greenest’ universities.”
Focus, which has its headquarters in Nottingham, and branches in Newark, Leicester, Boston and London, is a sustainability specialist and offers a range of energy and sustainability services including BREEAM assessment, with expert advice on sustainable building methods, building physics, energy compliance and testing.
