Shrewsbury College goes 'green' at official opening
Staff and students at a local college were joined by dignitaries, business owners and residents from across the county to celebrate the official opening of its brand new £1million ‘Severn Building’ which has been built in the grounds of its existing town centre site.
The launch of the new building at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College in Priory Road is the culmination of 11 months hard work following the College’s success in securing funds from the Sixth Form College Building and Improvement Fund. The aptly named building, which sits on the banks of the town’s river, was formally unveiled by Professor Pat Bailey, Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Keele University, observed by the Mayor of Shrewsbury Mr Keith Roberts and representatives from Shropshire Council, as well as key project partners Baart Harries Newall, Pave Aways and Frame Wise.
Replacing two former demountable buildings, the new teaching block, which will house the College’s Earth Sciences department, has been specifically designed to be not only distinctive and contemporary in style, with a combination of timber framing and glass, but also highly sustainable, incorporating a striking Sedum grass roof and other eco-friendly features including integrated insulation designed to provide high-level energy efficiencies.
Martin Ward, Principal at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have officially opened this brand new building and would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in the project. The whole team did a fantastic job in not only ensuring that the building work progressed right on schedule and budget, but that normal college life was maintained for students with very limited impact.
“Our initial requirement was for an eye-catching building which would also create inspiring spaces for the highest quality teaching and learning. The end result is fantastic and has matched the highest expectations, and we very much looking forward to the building being enjoyed by both staff and students for many years to come.”
As part of the official opening, the College also saw the unveiling of a specially-commissioned memorial bench created in honour of former Head of Spanish, Alan Hanson (affectionately known by the students as ‘Uncle Al’) who worked at the College for 35 years and sadly passed away in June 2011.
