Colchester Institute has officially opened its new Sustainable Construction Centre – the new greenest building on campus.
The state-of-the-art training centre will support more than 250 learners and includes a large painting and decorating suite, three multi-purpose workshops and classrooms for theory and learning.
The building was originally constructed in the 1960s but has been refurbished and repurposed as a modern construction training facility.
It has been revamped with sustainability in mind, with air source heat pumps, PV solar panels and rainwater harvesting making it the most energy efficient building on the campus.
Gary Horne MBE, Deputy Chief Executive of the college said: “This is a 1960s conversion, so we’ve had the opportunity to strip it right back.
“We’ve invested heavily optimising the thermal properties in the building.
“We’ve replaced the original gas boiler systems with air source heat pumps, we’ve upgraded our Solar PV on the roof, and ensured rainwater harvesting as standard so the building is as sustainable as it possibly can be.
“The spaces offer fabulous facilities for students incoming for brickwork, painting and decorating., retrofit and groundworks.
“I don’t think you’ll beat this anywhere in the country.
“It’s a fantastic place for students to come fresh from school, learn a trade, and then our ambition is to get them into work via an apprenticeship.”
A launch event was held on Tuesday, September 29, to celebrate the launch of the centre, attended by local construction companies, employers and stakeholders along with representatives from Essex County Council, including its leader Councillor Peter Harris.
Among those celebrating the grand opening were Curtis Reed and Dawn Budd, who both previously studied brickwork at the college.
The pair, who now work for Cadman Construction, had returned to the college to work on the refurbishment.
Curtis said: “It’s been fantastic. It’s like a full circle moment having been part of the college at one point, learning at the college, and now helping towards building the future bricklayer department and putting my stamp on the building.”
Stuart Cadman, Managing Director at Cadman Construction, the main project contractor, said: “Colchester Institute are at the forefront of construction training in the Eastern region, and it gives Cadman’s the greatest of pleasure being involved with such a successful education provider.
“Our workforce is putting their skills gained at Colchester Institute back into the college and therefore directly benefitting today’s construction students, who are the future of our industry.”
Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, guests were invited for a guided tour around the new facility and to meet students learning their craft at the centre.
In April, Colchester Institute was selected as a Clean Energy Technical Excellence College (CETEC).
Liv Bradley, Director of West Suffolk College’s new Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC), said she hopes the two colleges can collaborate in future.
Speaking at the opening event, she said: “We’re working really close together to look at where we can work collectively on initiatives so that we can collaborate where possible.
“That’s really important to make sure that we can drive and boost construction skills across the region. Centres like this are an ideal opportunity to do that.”
Cllr Harris added: “Essex County Council has invested £1.9 million in the creation of Colchester Institute’s new construction training facility.
“Combined with matched funding from private sector partners, this investment demonstrates the power of public and private organisations working together to address our skills needs and support economic growth in Essex.”
