Robertson Construction North East completes The Centre for Sport Exercise Sciences, Nutrition and Psychology for Newcastle University

Robertson Construction North East has completed the latest addition to the Newcastle University Campus, The Centre for Sport Exercise Sciences, Nutrition and Psychology.

The new facility provides education facilities available for use by the whole University to support the development of cross-disciplinary research and teaching and includes specialist spaces for Sport and Exercise Science, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, the School of Psychology and the School of Medical Education.

Completion of the 9,000m2, six-storey building project was taken over by Robertson in January 2019 following the unfortunate demise of Clugston.

Garry Hope, regional managing director, Robertson Construction, said: "Following the sad collapse of the previous contractor we were able to offer the University with a solution which enabled them to keep to their original programme for completion.

"Through close collaboration with the University 90% of the contracts with the previous supply chain were re-established to ensure continuity and to minimise the potential economic impact on some local businesses which could have had devastating results."

The new building features a lecture theatre for 300 students, social learning spaces, seminar rooms, teaching kitchen and sensory suite, clinical suites, and academic and postgraduate offices.

Garry, continues: "The entire team came together with one common goal of delivering the best academic facility possible and we are all agreed this has been achieved."

The innovative building provides both functional and flexible spaces and has been designed to facilitate integrated research by promoting collaboration between disciplines through shared encounter spaces and the provision of social breakout areas.

Iain Garfield, director of estates & facilities, Newcastle University, commented: "The loss of our main contractor at a critical time in the project was devastating for ourselves and the local sub-contractors. Using our NE5 Framework we were able to quickly appoint Robertson Construction who have helped us to fulfil our ambitions for the building as well as honour our commitment to local suppliers."

The new building was handed over in two phases completing on the 18th December 2020.

Iain continues: "The Robertson team worked closely with the University to ensure the first phase of the building was made available to our students for the start of the academic year. They then worked sympathetically with the building users to complete the final stages of the building. This is a fantastic facility and I am extremely grateful to the Robertson team for the great work they did in seeing it through to completion."

The building was completed under strict COVID-19 Safe operating Procedures to protect all involved in the project.