Skylon Campus

Speller Metcalfe delivered Skylon Campus on behalf of the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering’s (NMITE) – the UK’s first new higher education provider in over 40 years – which is now a flagship site for DfE trials of their new ‘GenZ’ teaching workshops.

The timber and steel frame site houses two 700 sqm workshops, the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT) and Centre for Automated Manufacturing (CAM), five studios and breakout spaces – all built with future flexibility in mind.

Designed by Bond Bryan architects, the new 2500 sq m ‘building of two halves’ has been developed using both timber and steel frames, which are distinctly divided into the steel frame workshop block and timber frame studio block.

The project was procured through the Pagabo Medium Works framework and focuses on advanced manufacturing and production techniques, showcasing the practical uses of timber as a ‘Living Lab’ to provide a real-life learning environment – the intention for students to study and use current engineering equipment and techniques, so they are industry-ready when moving into employment.

Project innovations, best practice and highlights include:

• Extensive collaborative working between the project team, particularly in reference to achieving client spend and redesign;
• Delivered at £2180 p/sqm – comparable to DfE benchmark of regular educational builds for what is an innovative, state-of-the-art space;
• An exemplar of sustainability achieving the park’s highest sustainability assessment score by a 20% improvement (90%);
• Significant contribution to local community and industry through social value initiatives;
• Demonstrates exemplar quality standards in timber construction and now a flagship site for DfE trials of their new ‘GenZ’ teaching workshops.