Construction work begins on UCLan's new Veterinary School

Morgan Sindall Construction’s North West team is on site at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and has begun work on the new Veterinary School.

The project includes both the partial refurbishment of a current building and the creation of the four-storey structure on UCLan’s Preston Campus.

Once open, in early 2025, the nearly 50,000 sq ft school will provide a state-of-the-art centre of learning for students studying a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across the veterinary and animal sciences.

The new building, which is being built to universal accessibility standards to ensure that students with a range of learning needs are supported, will include several purpose-built training amenities, including high-specification anatomical skills laboratories, simulated operating theatres, diagnostic suites and pharmacies, microscopy labs, dental rooms and immersive teaching facilities.

Elements of the existing Greenbank Building will also be refurbished to include a dedicated area for kennels, the installation of new simulated consultation rooms and a physiotherapy suite.

Morgan Sindall has collaborated with supply chain partners to embrace innovative Modern Methods of Construction, including the use of delta beams within the new build structural frame. This solution will significantly reduce embodied carbon within the building and accelerate the project timeline to ensure the timely opening of the School.

It is the latest collaboration between the university and Morgan Sindall following the JB Firth Building, completed in 2011.

Prof Graham Baldwin, UCLan vice-chancellor, said: "It is fantastic to see spades in the ground and building work start on creating our technologically advanced School of Veterinary Medicine.

“As Lancashire’s only Vet School, it will play a major role in developing the veterinary practitioners and leaders of the future and supporting economic growth in the north.

“Morgan Sindall has a very impressive track record of delivering inspirational and attractive learning environments at universities across the country so we are looking forward to working together.”