Plymouth College of Art and Design

Client: Plymouth College of Art and Design
Architect: Wernick™ Buildings
Contractor: Andrew Gilbert of Ward Williams Associates
Type of works: Wernick™ Buildings designed and built the new 518m², two-storey central building.

To cope with annual year on year growth, Plymouth College of Art and Design enlisted in Neath Abbey-based Wernick™ Buildings to design and build a two-storey central building.

The site for the new building is steeply sloping and 30 cubic metres of soil had to be removed, and two retaining walls built. The work was scheduled for July when only administrative staff and summer schools would be in college.

Flanked by an attractive pergola covered, terraced concourse, the new 518m², two-storey central building is a factory-manufactured, modular building. Andrew Gilbert of Ward Williams Associates, Plymouth, project managed the build.

The first floor, which is level with the concourse on one side, contains administrative offices. A large ground floor room houses the 3-D department and the occasional exhibition of students’ work.

The 16 modules that comprise the new building were delivered on two consecutive Saturdays, with finishing work taking just 16 weeks, a week earlier than planned.

Andrew Gilbert said: ‘This project met all our client’s criteria and ours. It was a rapid, cost-effective build programme, in a restricted time frame, in a city centre location. This project went well. This is not the first time we have worked with Wernick™ Buildings on this type of contract and I am sure it won’t be the last.’