We are delighted that our Spring Lane project has successfully secured a place on the shortlist for the upcoming RICS regional Awards, Public Sector Project. This achievement is testament to the outstanding work and dedication of the team.
The new campus buildings have allowed Canterbury College to accept more student applications for the increasingly popular horticulture and animal welfare courses on offer, allowing for various attainment levels, including Pre-16 Junior College, A-Levels, T-Levels, and Higher Education.
Adopting a ‘fabric first’ approach, the new Spring Lane campus buildings have been designed by Architect, Lee Evans Partnership, with sustainability in mind: sustainable building materials have been used, and natural ventilation and day lighting are used to their maximum. Additionally, green roofs provide biodiversity and also provide natural insulation to the new buildings, reducing heating needs in the winter and assisting with cooling in the summer.
The primary focus of the design concentrated on creating comfortable and durable teaching spaces, with a sinuous connection between external and internal spaces, creating a link between theory and practice.
The new campus buildings replaced the previous poor-quality, inadequate teaching accommodation on the site, principally based previously in temporary-type accommodation. The new facilities provide modern, comfortable learning accommodation, together with larger open spaces for learning and student congregation.
Deceptively simple in form, the new buildings provide spacious, flexible accommodation linked by an external covered walkway. Natural lighting has been maximised in the design to contribute towards student and staff wellbeing, as well as reducing the need for artificial lighting.
Built by Kent-based contractor Abbott Construction, provides students with excellent resources for preparing for a career in animal management, conservation and horticulture.
The campus allows the college to develop the emerging demand for specialist green skills, and have invested in upgrading Spring Lane to offer cutting-edge education and training in animal conservation, horticulture and land-based subjects.
Lee Evans llp, Spring Lane, Canterbury
Betteridge & Milsom provided Project Management, Employer’s Agent, Quantity Surveying and Principal Designer services.
Photos courtesy of Robert Greshoff
