£19m Lancaster University Management School transformation complete

The £19m refurbishment of the East Estate at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), delivering a fully reconfigured 6,778 sqm, four-storey academic building within a live campus environment, has been completed.

The project was led by Lancashire firms Conlon Construction with Cassidy + Ashton acting as prinicpal architects.

The scheme comprised a full internal strip-out of the existing 1970s structure, including removal of partitions, finishes and all mechanical and electrical services, followed by a complete reconfiguration of the building to deliver modern teaching, research and collaboration spaces.

The completed facility provides new and upgraded seminar and teaching rooms, meeting spaces, breakout and informal study areas, and specialist facilities including a Bloomberg Suite, prayer rooms, café and staff lounge. A new glazed link corridor has also been delivered, connecting the East Estate to the university spine and West Pavilion, requiring structural alterations and façade modifications.

Guy Parker, managing director and chair of Conlon Construction, said: “This is Conlon’s biggest education scheme to date, making it a special milestone for the business, and it’s particularly rewarding to see it deliver high-quality facilities that will directly support students and young people in our home of Lancashire.”

Lawrence McBurney, director and architect at Cassidy + Ashton, said: “Working closely with Lancaster University, Conlon Construction and the wider project team, we have transformed the building into a contemporary, flexible and highly sustainable learning environment that reflects the School’s global reputation for excellence. The refurbished spaces will support world-class teaching, research and collaboration, while enhancing the experience of students, staff and visitors.

“We are proud to have helped deliver a facility that matches the ambition, prestige and future vision of Lancaster University Management School.”

Conlon delivered the works within a constrained live campus environment using a single-point logistics access route, with phased delivery across four floors and multiple concurrent workfaces. Fire-rated hoarding and controlled pedestrian routes were installed throughout to maintain safe segregation between construction areas and university operations.

The project involved full replacement and integration of building services, including mechanical and electrical systems, ventilation distribution and electrical infrastructure, alongside connection into Lancaster University’s district heating network.

Externally, the building was upgraded with replacement roof coverings, façade repairs, masonry works and new energy-efficient glazing. Internally, the building was fully refurbished with new partitions, acoustic treatments, flooring, ceilings, and doors, alongside installation of a new passenger lift and improved accessibility routes.

The refurbishment has created a carbon saving of more than 80 per cent compared to an equivalent new build. This, combined with revised design principles that allow more effective uses of space, has led to an estimated saving of more than 4,700 tonnes of carbon expenditure, equivalent to the carbon produced by more than 400 homes in a year. The scheme was also delivered in line with Conlon Construction’s social value commitments, with a focus on apprenticeships and the use of local labour wherever possible.