A £24m development for Liverpool John Moores University’s Faculty of Health in Liverpool has been completed by contractor Willmott Dixon. Tony McDonough reports
Contractor Willmott Dixon has completed a £24m development for Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
Work on the final phase of external works on the Tithebarn Building, home to LJMU’s Faculty of Health and Avril Robarts Library, are now finished. It comprises a four-storey new build extension, refurbished existing accommodation and new outdoor spaces.
Procured through SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading procurement authorities, the three-year project was completed in phases with the building remaining operational throughout.
The faculty’s new build extension, totalling more than 24,000 sq ft, was handed over in December 2020, with the new facilities brought into use in January 2021. The refurbished facilities, totalling almost 63,000 sq ft across six floors, were completed in June 2021. Students and staff in the faculty now benefit from:
- Nine world-class, technology-enhanced specialist simulation suites.
- Two modern and flexible-use lecture theatres.
- Three IT suites supporting advancements in technology enhanced learning.
- Modern, refurbished teaching rooms and staff accommodation.
- Avril Robarts Library.
The newly-refurbished library was opened to students on schedule in October 2020. It offers a modern environment for online and digital resources and our book stock, new study and social spaces and more visible spaces for key student support teams.
Professor Raphaela Kane, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Faculty of Health), said: “We are committed to providing all of our students with the very best possible preparation for their future careers.
“The state-of-the-art facilities in our Tithebarn Building will further ensure that our students benefit from an outstanding teaching and learning experience at LJMU. The new suites will also enable us to facilitate pioneering new research in education and practice that will help to transform lives and our society.”
Mike Lane, operations director for Willmott Dixon in the north, added: “We have delivered more than £100m of work in Liverpool in recent years and, in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, we’re determined to create a positive legacy beyond bricks and mortar.”