Kier has won a £56m contract to build a 15,500m2 academic studio and research building for the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London.
The four-storey building on the RCA’s south campus will contain workshops, manufacturing facilities and a double-height covered street hangar space for large-scale objects to be assembled and exhibited, as well as an expanded ‘business incubator hub’ for small business start-ups related to the RCA.
Kier started on site this month and the project is due for completion in summer 2020.
Mott MacDonald will provide building services, civil, structural, fire and acoustic engineering as well as strategic brief development and cost consultancy services.
The centre will provide space for ten new programmes and the expansion of research and knowledge exchange centres to include computer and materials science, the impact of the digital economy, advanced manufacturing and intelligent mobility.
Cliff Thomas, managing director for Kier London, said: “The new flagship building marks an exciting time for the RCA and marks its transformation into a dynamic STEAM-focused (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) postgraduate university. It is great working with such a forward-looking body.
“We have extensive experience in delivering pioneering research facilities and we’re proud to be working collaboratively with the RCA to deliver this new building that will offer excellent facilities to students.”
