Firm appointed to build University of Kent academic hub

Uni of Kent project

Willmott Dixon has won a contract to build an academic hub for the University of Kent in Canterbury.

The £26m project will provide a four-storey learning hub that will be home to the Kent Business School and the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science.

The facility will cover approximately 8,000m2. Also on the scheme are project manager BNP Paribas Real Estate, architect Penoyre and Prasad, M&E provider Max Fordham, structural engineer Price & Myers, and Betteridge & Milsom as QS.

Willmott Dixon’s Kent based team will start work shortly, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.

Managing director for Willmott Dixon in the southern home counties Roger Forsdyke said: “This hub will give each of the departments their own distinct learning area that will attract students and academics keen to develop their knowledge and research using these high-tech facilities.

“Importantly, we’ll be bringing our experience of higher education and working in live environments on major hub projects to ensure we create a centrepiece that will provide an excellent learning environment for many generations to come.”