Interview with Cornish Contractors Kier Construction
The construction of Callywith College started in April 2016 with Cornish contractors and suppliers working together to open the doors to new students in September 2017.
For Kier Construction, the company which is using its expertise to bring the College site to fruition, the project represents its largest in Cornwall staffed with Cornish personnel. Callywith’s links to the Cornish economy are strong and where possible, local contractors and suppliers are being used - even down to the supply of sandwiches! We caught up with Kier project manager Steve Lee, who is overseeing the construction, to find out more about the development that will become an iconic part of Bodmin’s townscape for generations to come.
When did you start building and when is it due to finish?
We started on site on 4 April this year and are due to complete ready for the September 2017 term.
What exactly is being built at the site?
The project consists of three separate buildings. Building 1 is the largest and consists mainly of teaching classrooms, including science labs and ICT suites, complemented with a lecture theatre and drama studio. Building 3 is the next largest, which has a sports hall at its core, with further teaching classrooms, ICT Suites and a learning resource centre surrounding it over two storeys. The final building of this project is the changing rooms with a further sports teaching room and viewing gallery over the new all-weather synthetic sports pitch.
What can we expect when it’s done?
The buildings are clad with precast concrete sandwich panels made locally by Cornish Concrete Products in Bissoe, near Truro. This system has been used at both Truro and Penwith Colleges. The views from the first and second floor classrooms are great, with the Bodmin Obeliske clearly visible along with good views over Goss Moor and towards the Camel estuary.
How will the building affect local people?
The majority of the supply chain, sub-contractors and suppliers are Cornish, which provides great employment opportunities for local people. This is a very successful strategy as these people are very likely to have family and friends who will be using the facilities in the future and are really passionate about delivering this fantastic project. At our peak periods we are likely to have just over 150 personnel on site. During the build, there will be activities with local schools, colleges and youth organisations, as well as an MOD open day in November to help service leavers find employment. Even the sandwiches for meetings will be sourced from a local supplier.
In February 2017 there will be an environmental landscaping competition launched for 11 to 16 year olds. They will be asked to design a landscaped area on the new campus which will incorporate environmental features to encourage wildlife, such as bat boxes and bug hotels.