A ground-breaking ceremony has taken place as construction begins on a state-of-the-art extension for Lancaster University Management School (LUMS).
The £18.8m contract has been awarded to North West contractor, John Turner Construction Group, who will complete the new five storey building for the start of the 2020/21 academic year.
The Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark E. Smith said: “Our globally-leading Management School is home to a thriving international community – one that continues to grow year on year. This significant investment will provide state of the art facilities to complement the first class teaching and world-renowned research that we are proud to offer our students.”
The new building, which will cover a total of 5,667m2, will offer cutting-edge facilities and significantly more space for students, staff and partners. Offering the space equivalent to around four tennis courts per floor, the building will boast three new lecture theatres, collaboration space, a new reception, multiple offices and an executive teaching suite.
The Dean of Lancaster University Management School, Professor Angus Laing, said: “As one of the first business schools established in the UK, we have a proud history of pushing boundaries and conventions to challenge our students and prepare them to become our future leaders. This building marks the start of the next exciting phase of LUMS’ development as the School prepares to deliver outstanding research and education which transforms individuals and organisations. The new building will be followed by an extensive refurbishment of our existing facilities to provide innovative study space and a unique all-round experience for our students, staff, business partners and visitors.”
Nigel Sharp, Operations Director at John Turner Construction Group, said: “As a leading regional contractor, we are delighted to be awarded this high profile LUMS project and to be working with one of the highest ranking universities of the north.”
