McAlpine appointed to £500m Uni of Bristol contract

by Aniqah Majid  /  April 3, 2023

Construction for the university’s new campus, which boasts a total investment of £500 million, will be at Cattle Market Road, next to Temple Meads Station, and will begin in May and open in 2026. 

Sir Robert McAlpine will build a 38,000 sqm academic building on the site of a former Royal Mail sorting office, for the use of 4,600 students, 650 staff, and local community members. 

Full scope  

Plans for redesign emerged due to the pandemic, which paused development because of the impact on construction trade. Timelines have now been adjusted, with the building’s main spaces intended to allow greater flexibility and digital innovation. 

The campus is part of the wider redevelopment of Bristol Temple Quarter, the UK’s largest regeneration project. 

This project will see construction of 10,000 new homes and new student accommodations, developed by third-party providers. Bristol Temple Meads station will also undergo refurbishment, with a new entrance opening directly onto the campus. 

The new building will house:

• The university’s Business School 
• Digital engineering groups 
• Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation 
• Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre
• Facilities for enterprise and community partners 

AECOM has supported the Temple Quarter programme as cost and project consultants since 2017 and will continue to do so, with: 

• AECOM project team led by National HE Sector Lead, Steven Jenkins. 
• Osborne Clarke, who advised on construction procurement and contracts.

Bristol Temple Quarter Partners:

• Bristol City Council 
• West of England Combined Authority 
• Network Rail 
• Homes England

“We look forward to working with the University of Bristol to bring their vision for the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus to life,” said Sir Andrew McAlpine, a partner at Sir Robert McAlpine. 

“Our teams of experts take pride in delivering outstanding facilities and making a long-lasting, positive impact on local communities for future generations.”

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