Chichester Science Technology Engineering Maths & Higher Education Building

The higher education project delivers a dedicated facility for advanced engineering, science, and higher education. It acts as a living lab for sustainability, achieving the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge 2025 embodied carbon target, while forging critical industry partnerships with organizations like Rolls Royce.

The higher education project involved constructing a four-storey, high-quality building to provide facilities for curricula in Automotive, Engineering, Science, and Digital studies. The new building incorporates a vehicle workshop, science labs, a lecture theatre, and an independent study centre for STEM students.

This project is a critical phase of the College Estate Strategy and campus masterplan, which aims to upgrade existing buildings to suit current usage and performance standards, in return reinforcing the strong reputation of the college.

The facilities are designed to strengthen collaborative employer engagement, develop advanced skills in the taught subjects, and create spaces for specialist skills training, multidisciplinary working, and independent research. The goal is to create a distinctive, high-quality, and modern learning environment.

This was accomplished by specifying materials like 70% GGBS (Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag) in the foundations and floor decks, using an electro-arc furnace steel frame, and integrating low carbon energy systems like all-electric air source heat pumps and photovoltaics.

The primary value created for the client was a bespoke, high-quality facility that addresses the strategic need to enhance the STEM and Higher Education (HE) curriculum. This directly supports the College’s Estate Strategy by replacing an unused building with a purpose-built facility that can meet the current and future needs of the college.

Through careful design, the team were able to successfully accommodate a range of complex, specialist spaces within the building. These include a vehicle workshop and advanced science labs, amongst other uses.

The project creates significant value for learners, employer partners, and the wider community. For students, it provides industry-leading teaching and learning facilities, ensuring they gain relevant, up-to-date skills. For employer partners, like Rolls Royce (who run a partnership apprenticeship program), the building fosters stronger collaboration, allowing for higher skills training and research vital to new technologies, such as electric and hybrid automotive systems. This elevates the regional skills base and strengthens links between education and local industry.

The greatest impact from the project is the creation of a facility that dedicates itself to advancing education in the sought-after advanced engineering, automotive and science sectors.

This raises the profile of the College, allowing it to strengthen industry partnerships and develop the skills required for a lower carbon future. This includes, for example, development of hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturing and technologies.