The newly-opened £36.9m BIOS, a state-of-the-art science, health and medical facility at the heart of Teesside University’s Middlesbrough campus, will transform the way healthcare provision is delivered.
Summers-Inman
The building boasts immersive simulation suites, operating theatres and digital anatomy facilities, which have significantly enhanced the university’s teaching and learning environment.
Delivered by Wates and a first-class design team, award-winning project management and cost consultancy, Summers-Inman, provided project management and quantity surveying support from RIBA Stage 3 onwards, working on behalf of Teesside University.
It was the second project that Summers-Inman secured through the North East Universities Purchasing Consortium (NEUPC) framework, and it saw Wates and Summers-Inman working together again, hard on the heels of delivering the award-winning Cornell Quarter student accommodation building and Teesside University’s National Horizons Centre at its Darlington campus.
The future of healthcare training
BIOS is equipped with first-class facilities for the training of future healthcare professionals. Built over four floors with 5216m2 of bespoke teaching space, BIOS also contains an oral health research laboratory, a replica operating theatre and hospital ward, a biology suite and food science and food technology laboratories.
Its fully-immersive simulation suite enables students to work in a range of settings, from hospitals to sports arenas. In between teaching, BIOS also has a pasta bar on the ground floor for the benefit of staff and students.
Summers-Inman’s Associate Director, Andy Rapmund, was responsible for working closely with Wates and managing the project successfully to conclusion. He said: “This was a challenging yet exciting project to be part of, given that we were working at the forefront of sustainable design with a mandate to ensure the building achieved net-zero embodied carbon and a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certification.
Sustainable design
“BIOS was designed with sustainability at its heart and incorporates a range of renewable energy systems such as PV panels, low-carbon building materials and energy-efficient equipment, systems and plant. Its attractive, high-quality and flexible environment has been designed to require minimal maintenance over its lifespan.
“Additionally, our appointment allowed us to draw on our extensive experience within the higher education sector and with the well-documented rising cost of materials, we were committed throughout to managing these fluctuations by early engagement with the supply chain supported by planned procurement to mitigate any delays to the construction programme.
“We have very much enjoyed working again with Teesside University’s estates team and having the chance to further develop our professional relationship with Wates.”
A much-needed facility
BIOS provides a bespoke new learning space for students in the university’s School of Health & Life Sciences.
Professor Tim Thompson, Dean of the School, said: “BIOS is more than just a building – it is a state-of the-art facility and a real game changer in terms of our health, medical and science provision.
“This was our ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ to provide a unique digital offer that will equip our students with the skills, experience and expertise to flourish within the sector.
“We are incredibly proud of what BIOS offers and delighted to see our students now taking advantage of the fantastic new facilities.”
Social and sustainability KPIs
In delivering BIOS, Wates was keen to build not just an excellent building but a community as well. Commenting on the social value and sustainability elements of the project, David Wingfield, Regional Director for Yorkshire & North East Construction at Wates, said: “As the BIOS building developed, we were determined to have a directly beneficial, measurable effect on local people’s lives. That’s why we brought employment, training and educational opportunities to Middlesbrough people – from schoolchildren and students to the long-term unemployed with a particular focus on social enterprises.
“We used a local supply chain to assist with sustainability KPIs, resulting in 58% of the workforce living within a 40-mile radius of the site. We undertook an initial assessment with Mainers to understand the carbon requirements for the varying materials we would be procuring through the supply chain packages. Our target was to achieve <750 embodied carbon, which was achieved successfully.
“Working together with businesses and social enterprises across the Middlesbrough area, we leave a lasting legacy at Teesside University – a goal we strive to achieve at every site where we work.”
BIOS is the latest development to be completed as part of Teesside University’s ambitious campus masterplan, which has seen £280m invested in recent years to enhance the campus and facilities and provide the very best student and learning experience.
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