OCON WINS £5.3M BIRMINGHAM STUDENT SCHEME
Designed by architects, Stephen George & Partners, the design and build scheme will see Ocon working on a live campus site to deliver the 140-unit scheme in time for the 2012/13 academic year, with completion scheduled for September 2012. The campus already has 30 student accommodation blocks, all of which will be occupied throughout the programme.
A lightweight steel frame construction with a brick and curtain walling envelope, the new development will provide a mix of studio accommodation and en-suite study bedrooms in 4/5 bedroom clusters, each with their own kitchen and dining/living area. In addition to construction of the four blocks, the programme will also include a new district heating scheme and diversion of services from the existing blocks to the new district heating network.
Commented Alastair Dixon from The University of Birmingham: “This is a major project for the university which will enhance our student accommodation provision and make the residential accommodation estate on campus more energy efficient. Ocon has an impressive reputation for delivering high quality student accommodation schemes on time within the strict deadlines of the academic calendar and we look forward to seeing the development take shape on site.”
Operations manager David Ledwidge added: “This project builds on our student accommodation experience and adds to the many student schemes that we have undertaken for university clients, including current projects for the University of Sussex and the University of Liverpool. We’re delighted to have added The University of Birmingham to our client list.”
