Leeds College of Building opens £17m city centre facility

Work has finally been completed on Leeds College of Building’s brand new state of the art £17m education and training facility in Leeds city centre.

Covering 8,000 sq m’s, the new building has achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and occupies a prominent position close to Leeds city centre on Cudbear Street and Black Bull Street.

The new purpose built campus will cater for a large number of Leeds College of Building’s 7,500 students along with the College’s existing North Street and Millwright Street campuses.

Leeds College of Building currently offers an array of Apprenticeships in courses including brickwork, carpentry and joinery, electrical, painting and decorating, plastering, plumbing and wall and floor tiling.

The College also offers 22 Advanced Apprenticeship routes, various technical routes, such as civil engineering and surveying, together with two Higher Level Apprenticeships in Construction and Built Environment (Sustainability) and Facilities Management which offer university equivalent, work based education at an affordable price.

Ian Billyard, Principal at Leeds College of Building, said: “Everyone associated with Leeds College of Building is delighted to see our new campus complete and open to students. As the UK’s only specialist construction College, this new building has been specifically designed to provide a modern learning environment, where both our students and staff can thrive.

“It will enable us to continue building on the high standard of training that we are renowned for, as well as expanding the number of courses and qualifications we offer, in order for us to stay ahead of the UK’s rapidly evolving construction industry.

“This new campus will shape the lives of thousands of young people, as well as helping to further the careers of large numbers of existing construction workers, over the coming years. It has also created a landmark building in the South Bank area of Leeds, which is currently benefiting from a huge amount of regeneration and investment so it’s great to be part of this.”

Robert Hardy, from AECOM, which project managed the scheme, added: “This stunning new building will play an important role in the future of the UK’s construction sector and it sets a benchmark for other education providers in the industry to aspire to. It has been a fantastic project to work on and there’s no doubt that the region’s thriving construction industry will greatly benefit from having this superb facility on the doorstep.”

Mike Harris from architecture practice Fuse Studios, which designed the building, also commented: “This building is designed to inspire the future talent of the construction industry. Over half the floor space consists of state of the art specialist workshops, there’s an impressive atrium entrance piazza, a stunning library area and a fantastic range of classrooms. All this creates a superb learning environment in a highly sustainable building that successfully prioritises all the modern building values of the 21st century.”