Teesside University receives national award for Cornell Quarter student residential accommodation

Teesside University has won Client of the Year at the national Constructing Excellence awards (2021) for its outstanding collaborative work on the Cornell Quarter student residential accommodation.

The University was recognised for the excellent facilities in the accommodation as well as how well teams overcame challenges brought by the pandemic during construction.

The Cornell Quarter welcomed its first cohort of students in October 2020 and boasts a games lounge, cinema and private gym.

Just a short walk away from Campus Heart, the impressive £21.4m accommodation benefits students with 300 en-suite bedrooms.

The University worked with Wates Construction on the design and construction of the Cornell Quarter accommodation and has worked with the business on previous building projects including the National Horizons Centre, Teesside University’s £22.3m state-of-the-art facility for biosciences.

The Constructing Excellence awards celebrate the UK’s built environment and showcase the excellent construction projects which have been undertaken.

The Client of the Year award recognises clients who have demonstrated clear and consistent leadership, real benefit to their organisations and a positive impact to the organisation, industry and wider community.

After being named a regional Client of the Year in October last year, Teesside University was one of eight shortlisted candidates for the national award.

Darren Vipond, Director of Campus Services, attended the national Constructing Excellence awards event at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London.

He said: ‘To be named Client of the Year is a fantastic achievement and we are extremely proud to have received such prestigious, national recognition for our hard work in constructing such a fantastic space for our students.

‘This award is a testament to Teesside University’s dedication and collective integration to make this project a success, not forgetting this was during the height of the first wave of the national COVID lockdown.

‘We are also thrilled to have collaborated once again with Wates Construction in delivering this project and look forward to breaking ground on future developments to further enhance our campus.’

David Wingfield, Regional Director for Wates Construction in the North East, said: ‘Cornell Quarter was a time-critical project with a quick 75-week build programme to ensure that students could be enjoying the accommodation by the 2020/21 academic year. Not only did we go from a blank sheet of paper through feasibility, planning and to site in an incredible 24 weeks, the building was delivered on time, on budget and with zero defects, achieving recognition for its industry-leading carbon offsetting initiative.

‘This was an exceptional outcome, not least in the context of the pandemic, and it simply would not have been possible without the active involvement of our client Teesside University. This award recognises the importance of such close collaboration, which allowed us to be adaptable and think outside the box, to deliver student living and ultimately create a community in which people can thrive.’

With £275m invested to date, the campus masterplan sets out a dynamic and ambitious programme of investment to 2027, transforming the campus and providing vibrant and modern facilities to enhance the experience of students, staff and partners.

The Cornell Quarter accommodation is part of this programme of investment and represents Teesside University’s commitment to delivering outstanding facilities to students.

The next phase of the campus masterplan will see the development of the £5m Postgraduate Student Hub, an innovative and exclusive space on campus for postgraduate students and researchers to study, collaborate and socialise, which is due to be completed in September.

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