Swindon’s showpiece £10m UTC (University Technical College) has won the Best Educational Building category in the 2015 West of England Regional LABC (Local Authority Building Control) Building Excellence Awards.
As a result, it is now shortlisted for the LABC grand finals which take place in November at London’s Lancaster Hotel.
UTC Swindon had also been nominated for the Best Change of use of an Existing Building or Conversion and Best Public Service Building at the awards ceremony, which took place in Bristol.
The state-of-the-art site is home to what Prime Minister David Cameron described as a “remarkable school.” School reform minister Nick Gibb MP called UTC Swindon “one of the best school buildings” he had ever seen.
The stunning architecture and high-quality build, provided by Scott Brownrigg and BAM respectively, includes light-filled workshops and classrooms designed to imitate real life workplaces. The site also houses a lecture theatre and a hub area where students can generate ideas, socialise and inspire others.
As part of the original Great Western Rail works, the site also creates a link between the engineering history and the engineering future of the local area, with the old school building and the iconic water tower featuring prominently. Both structures are Grade II listed and were treated sympathetically, with restoration of the water tower bringing it back into educational use.
Chair of governors at UTC Swindon Paul Inman, who is also Pro-Vice Chancellor at Oxford Brookes University, said: “We are delighted that UTC Swindon has been recognised at the Building Excellence Awards. I must pay tribute to the architects Scott Brownrigg who have turned what was already a historically significant site into a truly inspirational, state-of-art space. Oxford Brookes is proud to be a sponsor of this innovative and important educational facility which will produce the next generation of engineering experts.”
Scott Brownrigg director Jon James, who designed the building, added: “We are delighted and proud that UTC Swindon has won the regional LABC award for Best Educational Building. It’s a real credit to the team that we have been recognised by the LABC with this prestigious award.
“It celebrates a unique building and the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication of all involved from start to finish. From day one, our client and the entire professional team set out to achieve something quite special, which would provide a clear link between ‘historic’ engineering and ‘engineering the future’. The design concept references the historic setting both physically and through the significant scientific discoveries made on the site. This has breathed new life into the buildings and most importantly provided opportunities for the next generation.”
UTC Swindon principal Angela Barker-Dench said: “We’re proud of the incredible building we occupy at UTC Swindon. The site plays a big part in nurturing and inspiring our students. We are now looking forward to the grand finals in November where hopefully our outstanding building will get further recognition.”
The 2015 West of England Regional LABC Building Excellence Awards celebrates all aspects of the construction industry across the region. As well as aesthetics, they recognise technical innovation, sustainability and high performance.
UTC Swindon opened its doors last September. It caters for 600 students aged 14 to 19, providing courses for young people who aspire to a career in engineering. Students at the college can gain the skills necessary across all sectors of the engineering industries.
UTC Swindon is run by a trust sponsored by Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells and Oxford Brookes University. There are over 90 different industry partners involved with the University Technical College.
Pictured: Angela Barker-Dench with the LABC award
