LABC All Wales Award

14-Sep-2012

The new £8 million teaching centre at Glynllifon, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor's land-based campus near Caernarfon, has won the All Wales Local Authority Building Control Award for 'Best Educational Building'. It won the North Wales Award earlier this year.

The Award Ceremony was held in Cardiff on the 22nd October - pictured (left to right): Chris Wynne, John Williams, Sion Williams and Graham Roberts of Wynne Construction.

Known as PA@G (Pentref Addysg @ Glynllifon), the Centre was project-managed by Capita Symonds and built by Wynne Construction using the latest sustainable construction and renewable energy technology.

Designed to meet BREEAM Excellent standards, the building is sited adjacent to a special area of conservation and one of the largest roosts for lesser horseshoe bats in Europe.

The completed PA@G is a striking eco-building with the 'wow' factor. It was completed 12 months ago in time for the students returning last September, and was officially opened in May by the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones.

The innovative Learning Centre enables a broad range of vocational land-based courses to be offered in contemporary facilities, ensuring the very best for learners, business and the local economy. This month, new and returning students have again been flocking into the state-of-the-art learning facilities, which include a lecture theatre, dedicated IT suites, two purpose-built rooms for exotic animals and the new veterinary nursing course, plus kitchens and workrooms for the Independent Living Skills Department. These complement the recently upgraded facilities on the Campus for animal, equine, forestry, game-keeping, horticulture, land-based engineering, veterinary nursing and other courses, as well as the newly refurbished student hostel.

These latest developments place the Glynllifon Campus as one of the very best in the country for land-based courses. PA@G also represents the College's commitment to further developing the land-based facilities in the area, investing in the rural economy and moving towards creating the first truly 'green' campus in the country.

The building's 'green' credentials include a wood biomass boiler using the College's own chipped wood from forests on the Campus, solar hot water, photo-voltaic panels for electricity generation, a rainwater harvester system and a passive ventilation system instead of air-conditioning. The building also has high levels of thermal efficiency, is cedar-clad and has a green roof.

Kath Coughlin, Executive Director at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, commenting on the Glynllifon Campus award, said: "This has been a very exciting project for the College. It is the largest new-build development we have undertaken in recent years, and was completed within budget and on time. The quality and standard of the building reflect the good working relationship we have had both with Wynne Construction and our consultants Capita Symonds, and I am delighted with this second award."

Dr Ian Rees, Principal of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, added, "There has been an expansion of the curriculum coupled with an extensive programme of investment at the Glynllifon Campus over the last three years. Learners on land-based courses now have the best facilities in the country in which to study."

PA@G will now go forward to represent Wales in the final of the LABC National Awards to be held in London on the 13th November.
Click here for more information about "LABC All Wales Award"

 

View Our Latest News - More News From 2012 - View Our Project Sectors