Higher Education Estates May/June 2024

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T he new £36.9m BIOS, a state-of-the art science, health and medical facility at the heart of Teesside University’s Middlesbrough campus, will transform the way healthcare provision is delivered. The building boasts immersive simulation suites, operating theatres and digital anatomy facilities which have significantly enhanced the University’s teaching and learning environment. Built by Wates, the project was managed by the project management and cost consultancy, Summers-Inman, who came on board from RIBA Stage 3 onwards, working on behalf of Teesside University. It was the second project that Summers- Inman secured through the North East Universities Purchasing Consortium (NEUPC) framework and it saw Wates and Summers-Inman working together again, after delivering the award-winning Cornell Quarter student accommodation building and Teesside University’s National Horizons Centre at its Darlington campus. BIOS is equipped with first-class BIOS facility for Teesside University Summers Inman steers home £36.9m

“BIOS is more than just a building – it is a state-of the-art facility and a real game changer in terms of our health, medical and science provision. This was our ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to provide a unique digital offer that will equip our students with the skills, experience and expertise to flourish within the sector.”

A NEW 41-storey tower for Unite Students in Stratford, designed by BDP, has been given planning approval by the London Legacy Development Corporation. The design proposes a community-first, residential high-rise tower which aims to revitalise the heart of Stratford, providing much-needed student accommodation while enhancing access to local services and public realm. The approved plans propose extensive greening around Meridian Square and Meridian Steps, create a new entrance to Stratford Station and provide a new home to local social enterprise, You Press. The design, which was described by planning committee members as “elegant and effortless”, works to resolve a complex facilities for the training of future healthcare professionals. Built over four floors with 5,216 sqm of bespoke teaching space, BIOS also contains an oral health research laboratory, a replica operating theatre and hospital ward, a biology suite and food science and food technology laboratories. Its fully immersive simulation suite enables students to work in a range of settings from hospitals to sports arenas. Summers-Inman’s associate director, Andy Rapmund, said: “This was a challenging yet exciting project to be part of, given that we were working at the forefront of sustainable design with a mandate to ensure the building achieved Net Zero embodied carbon and a BREEAM Outstanding certification.” Professor Tim Thompson, Dean of the School of Health & Life Sciences, said:

Landmark student tower keeps Olympics flame burning

urban site, presenting a new gateway to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The building is formed of cluster flats with 952 bedrooms and public-facing facilities, including a café and retail outlets located on the three ‘ground’ floors - accommodating the different levels at Meridian Steps. Chris Jones, Architect Associate at BDP, said: "We have created a design for a sustainable, people-first development which reflects the potential of the site and will be a recognisable destination for years to come. There are more than 20,000 full time students studying within 2.5 miles of Meridian Steps, so this building uses density and cutting-edge amenities to deliver much-needed housing for the area while enriching the local community.”

24 higher education estates