Anakin Skywalker, Princess Leia, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, and Obi-Wan Kenobi are the heroes in this remake of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. MabelSpace apologises to readers.
DfE Contemplates a Collaborative Contracting Approach
The Department for Education (DfE) is reportedly developing a contractor framework modelled after the Ministry of Justice's Alliance framework. A new DfE framework is due in 2025.
The aim is to improve project delivery within the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP), following criticism of its slow progress. The SRP's goal is to average 50 completions per year. Last May, the government acknowledged that only four schools had been built in the previous two years. Meanwhile, 24 contracts had been awarded compared to a planned 83.
An "Alliance for Learning" framework would aim to improve delivery efficiency. It could draw on principles outlined in the "Constructing the Gold Standard" review. Building Magazine reports that DfE discussions with industry stakeholders have centred around establishing a collaborative model. Discussions have examined how contractors might work together on larger work pipelines, allowing them to innovate and invest with greater confidence.
Bradford College Makes £29 Million Investment
Bradford College is now delivering three construction projects, having successfully secured almost £29 million of funding over the past two years.
T-Level Facilities Expansion. A £3.5 million investment from the Department for Education (DfE) T-Level Fund is set to provide new facilities within the David Hockney Building. The work will include a commercial barbering salon, collaborative lecture spaces, enhanced media editing/recording studios, and a training restaurant remodelling.
Garden Mills Refurbishment. The derelict Garden Mills building is undergoing a £6.9 million transformation, partially funded by The Office for Students. This renewal will improve the college's STEM facilities, particularly for HNC/HND and Degree students.
Future Technologies Centre (image above). This brand-new building, which has a budget of £17 million, is supported by the DfE's Further Education Capital Transformation Fund. It will be instrumental in nurturing new automotive and digital engineering skills.
Christopher Malish, the College’s Vice Principal of Finance & Corporate Services, said, "This is a huge boost for the College but is also a transformative investment in Bradford city centre that supports the wider city centre development."
Architects and Advisors Bond Bryan have developed the projects. The same team designed Bradford College's Main (David Hockney) Building almost a decade ago. The on-campus Bond Bryan Academy is a purpose-made teaching base that can track the progress of the college's live estate projects. From here, consultants and contractors can deliver guest lectures and workshops, offer site visits, and mentor construction and engineering students.
Bond Bryan's specialist Education team has a long history in Further and Higher Education. Their design collaboration with Simpson Haugh for a City Campus for Manchester College is shortlisted in the 2024 RIBA North West Awards. Meanwhile, Bond Bryan has secured planning permission to convert Michael Hopkins & Partners' former Inland Revenue Centre (below) into 39,000 sqm of education space for Nottingham University.
Willmott Dixon Wins a Place at Oxford
Finally, Willmott Dixon has won a £11 million contract from the University of Oxford's St Peter's College. The project will deliver energy-efficient student accommodation meeting the ultra-low-carbon PHI Low Energy Building Standard. Two four-storey buildings will provide 54 bedrooms for the college's students. The design includes a podium garden with paved and planted areas that complement the existing Canal House garden.