Contractor Laing O'Rourke is due to complete construction of the £35m South East Essex College in Southend next year. The project is a rebuild of four 1960s buildings that were struggling to operate because of soaring maintenance bills. It contains 500 m2 of open-plan teaching space, divided into 25 units measuring 32 × 15 m, and an egg-shaped, soundproof concert hall pod. The building, which can accommodate 14,000 students, was designed by KSS Architects with structural engineer Adams Kara Taylor and M&E consultant Fulcrum Consulting. Developer is Equion.