Taff Ely Learning Campus is a new £40m college building located on Parc Nantgarw in Treforest. The client, Coleg Morgannwg, is an education provider specialising in the provision of vocational courses from four separate campuses across South Wales.
The need for a new college building was underpinned by two factors:
- the aging buildings and facilities on an adjacent campus in Pontypridd were becoming increasingly expensive to maintain;
- the need to accommodate new courses and more students.
The client recognised at an early stage that the location of the site, opposite a live college campus and in close proximity to both residential and business premises, meant that there was a significant risk that the construction phase could cause disruption to the area and jeopardise Coleg Morgannwg’s relationship with its neighbours. However, the client also realised that the project offered the staff and students significant educational value particularly for those involved in construction courses. These factors were a major driver for the client in promoting community benefit opportunities through the project.
Construction started in April 2010 and the building was handed over in May 2012 ahead of the 2012/13 academic year.
In addition to the community aspect of the project the client aimed to provide a sustainable facility which would benefit from lower whole life costs than for traditional buildings with a focus on reducing energy consumption throughout the occupation of the building. However, this case study focuses specifically on the community benefits aspect of the project.