The transformation will give a new lease of life for the old factory in Locksbrook Road in Bath, which has been empty since 2012.
Willmott Dixon is working with Grimshaw Architects, whose founder Nick Grimshaw designed the original factory building for Herman Miller, the American office furniture manufacturer, in 1976.
The reconfigured building will retain many of the factory’s existing external features, including the façade. Internally, it will have teaching facilities, workshops, studios and a gallery, as well as a café and art shop. A new rooftop pavilion will add a third storey to the building, providing additional space.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2019, ready for the start of the next academic year in September.
Willmott Dixon deputy regional managing director John Boughton said: “We’ll be bringing our experience of higher education and working in live environments on major hub projects to ensure we create a centrepiece that will provide an excellent learning environment.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk