London South Bank Technical College – Nine Elms STEAM Centre

Introduction

Since the summer of 2017 Peter Marsh Consulting Ltd (PMc) has been working with Lambeth College to develop an education-led redevelopment of their existing site at Nine Elms. A ‘Skills for Growth’ funding bid was submitted to the London Education Action Partnership (LEAP) in April 2018 which set out the detailed business case for the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths (STEAM) Centre that forms the first phase of the redevelopment of the site.

We worked with the design team led by APLB to deliver a RIBA Stage 2 report, which formed part of the successful bid for £22.5m funding which we wrote to support the construction of the £45m new STEAM Centre on the College’s Nine Elms Campus. In the summer of 2019, following a competitive tender process via the Bloom Framework we were appointed as Project Managers from stage 3b onwards. The design of the building progressed, following extensive engagement with stakeholders to ensure that the end result is a transformational learning environment, which inspires learners, responds to employers’ skills needs, meets staff’s requirements and is adaptable to the curricula of the future. The funding bid was successful and the final funding agreement for the project was signed in September 2019.

Taking the space planning brief, we produced as a point of reference, options were explored to reach an optimum depth and primary structural grid to most efficiently provide the room sizes defined by the brief, whilst enabling flexibility and adaptability both internally and in conjunction with glazing and facade solutions.

By establishing a building grid into which standard room sizes fit, internal partition walls could then be located at any point along the length of the plan, flexibility was designed in. Also, a straightforward and efficient layout with a central corridor provides for easy navigation and simple circulation routes. Rather than create a single large atrium that is passed through at the start and end of the day, the building includes as series of larger double-height ‘Digital Spine’ spaces at the prominent South-East corner of the building which provide a range of cross-college facilities and create a series of shop-windows looking up to the busier Wandsworth Road.

A core requirement of the brief is to ensure flexibility is designed into the STEAM building, so that it is inclusive, future proofed and sustainable. The scheme was submitted or planning approval in July 2019 in detailed form with the wider site-wide master plan of a further 28,000 m² submitted in outline form.

In November 2019 Lambeth Council as the Local Planning Authority considered the scheme and a resolution to grant permission was agreed. In June 2020 the scheme was subsequently referred to and approved by the Mayor of London. Looking to progress the design of the Phase 1 STEAM centre further, and in preparation for a tender process, Rock Townsend joined the team as technical advisors in 2020. Later in September 2020, John Graham Construction Ltd was successful via the Pagabo Framework and subsequently appointed in January 2021 for the construction of the phase 1 STEAM centre. Works commenced on site on February 2021 and were completed on 25 January 2023.

Overview

Lambeth College is the largest provider of skills training for young people and adults in the London Borough of Lambeth and is an important education facility and a large employer within the Borough.

In February 2021, we were excited to announce the start of the construction of the new STEAM Centre for London South Bank Technical College (Former Lambeth College) in Vauxhall. The Project was completed in January 2023 and will be officially open on Monday 26 June 2023. The STEAM Centre is a ten-storey further education skills centre for Lambeth Collegespecialising in science, dentistry, digital, media, engineering and construction.

We have been working with the College since 2015 – on space planning; developing the estate strategy; writing the business case; helping to secure funding from the Mayor for London; and working with the design team to take the scheme through the planning process. We are delighted to be the appointed Project Manager and Employer’s Agent for the construction and build out of the scheme – working with the client’s technical advisors and Grahams Construction to transform this important college site.

The redevelopment of the Nine Elms campus in which the new STEAM centre is located is an education-led scheme. The scheme, which comprises 4 phases, allows for a substantial increase in educational floorspace, as well as a smaller element of student residential development and a shared workspace as part of a new business incubation and innovation hub.

Nine Elms STEAM Centre (Phase 1)

The Projects Objectives are:

Respond to current and future skills requirements of employers and for over 2,500 full and part-time learners, improve quality of provision and learner satisfaction, progression and success rates;
Support over 400 new apprenticeships per year and increased progression to the highest levels of vocational and technical study;
Generate 250 construction jobs during the course of construction;
Creation of 74 new flexible teaching spaces providing 1,350 student workplaces; and,
Establish strong and innovative partnership with employers and local stakeholders.

Key Facts

Heading #1
Start on Site	February 2021
Completion Date	January 2023
Refurbishment area (m²)	10,050m²
Total Project Budget	£47.5m
Funder	London Education Action Partnership (LEAP) and Greater London Authority (GLA)
Architects	Architecture PLB
Technical Advisors	Rock Townsend
Cost Consultants	Fulkers Bailey Russell
Project Manager, Employer’s Agent, Bid Writer & Cost Consultant	Peter Marsh Consulting Ltd
Main Contractor	John Graham Construction Ltd.

To read the latest on planning permission for the project, please see the link below:

Planning Application Summary – REF: 19/02643/OUT

Project Team

Result

Plans

Lambeth College – Brixton Campus

Lambeth College – Brixton

Introduction

PMc acted as the client representative on this innovative educational redevelopment, designed by STEM Architects, which sees Lambeth College share a new-build space with Trinity Free School and a new UTC sponsored London South Bank University.

The planning application for the wider site development was submitted in October 2015 by Bowmer & Kirkland and their architects Jesitco & Whiles who designed and built the overall campus. At PMc we managed the decant of the existing college learners into temporary accommodation in December 2015 to enable work to start on the new build site in January 2016. We also helped procure furniture for Trinity Free School at the same time.

In April 2016, PMc were appointed to provide an end to end Client Advice, Project Management, Cost Consultancy and Employer’s Agent services to oversee the £3m fit out of 2,010 square metres of shell and core space which was handed over to the College in June 2017 by Bowmer & Kirkland.

We managed the appointment of an internal fit-out design team comprising STEM architects and King Shaw MEP consultants and subsequently managed the procurement of Gilbert Ash as a specialist fit-out contractor who we started on site in June and completed their £2.5m construction fit out programme in just 12 extremely busy weeks. We then managed the procurement of all loose furniture, AV and wayfinding – managing the installation process alongside practical completion ready for the start of the September 2017 term.

We worked collaboratively with the College, Trinity Free School, the ESFA and their partners to ensure that the decant works were properly scoped and planned, transport and travel plan information was supplied to support the planning application, and staff were kept informed of developments throughout.

The finished project saw the existing site demolished and rebuilt as a brand new 2-5 storey building featuring a multi-use gaming area, a new sports hall, external play/seating/social spaces, relocation of the grade II listed fountain sculpture, soft landscaping, cycle parking and additional disabled car parking.

Key Facts

Heading #1
Start on Site	October 2015
Completion Date	October 2017
Refurbishment area (m²)	2,000m²
Total Project Budget	£3m
Funder	Lambeth College
Architects	STEM Architects
MEP Advisors	King Shaw
Cost Consultants	PMc
Project Manager, Employer’s Agent, & Bid Writer	PMc
Main Contractor	Gilbert Ash

The Projects Objectives were:

To act as client representative to Lambeth College to oversee this large-scale educational redevelopment.
To provide an end to end Client Advice, Project Management, Cost Consultancy and Employer’s Agent service to oversee the £3m fit out of the shell and core space.
To work collaboratively with the College, Trinity Free School, the ESFA and their partners to ensure that the decant works were properly scoped and planned

Additional project benefits:

Our work forLambeth College also helped it define its vision in advance of its merger with LSBU and it will help to generate a significant capital receipt that will improve outcomes both for learners and for their financial security.
Our work forLambeth College also includes our Client Director role for the fit-out of a £12m new build project on the Clapham Campus, which we completed in October 2015, and acting as Client Director, Project Manager, and Employer’s Agent for the £3m fit-out of a new ESOL centre on the Brixton Campus, which completed on time and under budget in September 2017.

Project Team

Lambeth College – Clapham Campus

Lambeth College – Clapham

Introduction

PMc have provided Capital Delivery Services to Lambeth College over major projects covering their there three sites in: Brixton, Vauxhall and Clapham. Our earliest involvement was on the 2015 construction of a 4,000 m² new building at the Clapham site.

This £12.4m project with a construction value of £8m, commenced in October 2014 and completed in October 2015 with a phased handover to ensure that the core teaching spaces were available at the start of the September 2015 term. The scope included the creation of 25 general purpose classrooms, a full size sports hall, nursery and associated staff support spaces over three floors.

Since its opening the on-site nursery has achieved a number of notable accolades including gaining 3^rd place position in the 2019 Nursery World Awards and an Ofsted Outstanding certification.

Overview

Following the departure of the College’s Director of Estates. PMc took on the role of Client-Side Project Manager for the Clapham Campus works. This involved regular liaison with the employer’s agent and Graham’s who were the appointed contractor to ensure the timely completion of the project to the required scope, quality and budget.

Our remit included responsibility for managing procurement of the furniture, fittings and equipment (FFE), comprising installation of audio visual interactive screens into each teaching space, the procurement of all classrooms and office furniture and the commissioning and installation inspirational signage and way-finding.

Our close management of this process together with collaborative working with the main contractor ensured that the project achieved tight milestones on time; with completion of the the college fit-out taking just 4 days, allowing the upper floors to be ready for occupation in August and with the building being opened to students just one week after practical completion (PC).

Key Facts

Heading #1
Start on Site	October 2014
Completion Date	October 2015
Refurbishment area (m²)	4,000m²
Total Project Budget	£13m
Funder	ESFA
Architects	STEM Architects
Cost Consultants	PMc
Project Manager, Employer’s Agent, & Bid Writer	Faithful and Gould
Main Contractor	Grahams

Project Team

Media

London South East Colleges

London South East Colleges (LSEC) – Estates Strategy

Introduction

PMc were appointed in 2018 to prepare an Estates Strategy to produce a long-term plan to support delivery of London South East Colleges. Their estate at the time covered seven sites across London:

Bromley;
Orpington;
Bexley Erith;
Holly Hill;
Plumstead;
Greenwich Park; and,
Kidbrooke.

The scope of the strategy involved analysing the size and condition of existing buildings, and identifying opportunities to to better meet the needs and expectations of current and future learners. This work involved considering options for the rationalisation and right-sizing of the estate to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs, lever grant funding and generate revenue and/or capital receipts from surplus assets.

The resulting outcomes of the work entailed:

the production of an interim report on the Plumstead campus to support a successful funding bid to the GLA which considered the College’s curriculum, education requirements and assessment of different development proposals;
the development and assessment of eight development proposals for the Orpington campus together with Richard Hopkinson architects. Following assessment of these options and strategic discussions with the college senior team, we identified a subset of preferred options for which we carried out an outline financial appraisals and a review of potential delivery routes;
the development of a zoning plan and short to medium term options for the relocation of curriculum offer from Orpington campus to Bromley campus including the review of existing curriculum, timetabling, and utilisation of teaching space.
the review of the Holly Hill campus curriculum plan, its existing and proposed area to critically assess a College’s proposal and bid presented to dispose this campus and develop a new campus in Thamesmead to provide digital skills and technology-based solutions for the construction sector;
Review of Bexley, Greenwich Park and Kidbrook campuses to identify quick wins and further opportunities to improve the estate condition, space utilisation and timetabling, the learning environment and the further development of the College curriculums.

Bromley

Bexley – Holly Hill

Bexley – Erith

Greenwich – ACL

Greenwich – Plumstead

Kidbrooke

Orpington

Solent University – Warsash Maritime Academy

Introduction

Warsash Maritime Academy (WMA) has provided first class education, training, consultancy and research services to the international shipping, commercial yacht, and offshore oil and gas industries for nearly 70 years. The Academy, part of Solent University, is the world’s premier maritime education and training provider.

In September 2015 PMc conducted a short piece of work for the University to critically analyse the viability and financial contribution of the maritime Cadetship Programme offered by Warsash Maritime Academy. Following later discussions with the then Vice Chancellor, Graham Baldwin, we set out our proposals for a baseline space planning assessment to ascertain whether some or all the Academy’s provision could be accommodated within Solent University’s existing Southampton City Centre campus or on nearby sites under review as part of the University’s wider site master planning.

Our resultant WMA Space Planning Report set out our assessment of the space needs for the relocation for the WMA provision on the upper site plus the engineering workshops on the lower site. We followed up this work with the production of an outline feasibility study into the potential relocation of the WMA activity on to City College Site on the 15 March 2016. During June and July, several options for the relocation of the WMA provision within the Watts and Austen buildings within the City College campus were produced.

The Academy’s decision – in response to these options – was to split the activities on the upper Warsash site between the relocation of higher level and professional courses to the University’s ‘East Park Terrance’ and the relocation of cadet and associated training courses to the Austin building which is located at the part of Southampton City Colleges campus – just a few minutes’ walk from the main Solent University campus. The creation of a new Cadet Training ‘hub’ with close access to modern high-quality accommodation for cadets places the Academy at the heart of one of Britain’s greatest maritime cities.

As part of the plans to migrate Warsash’s activities to the new sites for the start of 2017/2018 consideration had to be given as to how to minimise the inevitable disruption and distraction created by any educational moves programme. Part of this entailed the project teams working collaboratively to minimise disruption as far as possible and to provide staff, cadets and other users of the new spaces at the City College campus the best leaning experience possible.

Overview

PMc acted as Client Advisors to WMA and the University throughout the relocation programme and the repurposing of the Austen building to accommodate the specialist spaces required for Cadet training courses. Using our previous experience and understanding – that refurbishment and adaptations of the existing buildings offer their own set of challenges which are often more complex than a ‘green feild’ new build project. Another important consideration was that planned works would be taking place on and in a building that wasn’t owned by the end user client and so steps had to be taken to resolve a range of complex issues relating to the lease, occupation and shared use of the campus.

Whilst we were working for Solent University on this project we were also commissioned by City College Southampton to manage a fast-paced programme of refurbishment works to relocate their library, photography, IT and English and Maths provision out of the Austen building into the Watts and St Mary’s building over a three week Easter holiday window.

The scope of the 2017 WMA works, running on a tight timeframe to be completed for the new academic year, were to create a modern, light and well-ventilated engineering and specialist maritime workshop suites, on the ground floor including a new reception and administrative hub at its centre. The works on the upper floors were focused to provide specialist and general classroom spaces, with provision on IT learning and student service rooms. The resulting goal being to create a focused site that would cater for all its students’ academic needs, and for an Academy that is recognised as providing some of the highest regarded maritime training courses in the world.

Key Facts

For further information on the Maritime Academy please click here

Heading #1
Start on Site	April 2017
Completion Date	September 2017
Refurbishment area (m²)	4,000m²
Total Project Budget	£6,000,000
Funder	Solent UNiversity
Architects	APLB to stage 2
Technical Advisors	PMc
Cost Consultants	Aecom
Project Manager, Employer’s Agent, & Bid Writer	PMc
Main Contractor	MISA