Procured through the Pagabo Major Construction Works framework, The Cavendish Building is the new state-of-the-art home of Derby International Business School. Located in the heart of the city centre, The Cavendish Building offers inspirational teaching in a setting to match, and will help to establish the city as a destination of choice for students, academics and industry.
797
tons of concrete saved using post-tension concrete slabs
£24.6m
spent with small and medium sized local enterprises
99.5%
of waste diverted from landfill
"This is an incredibly exciting time for the University as this landmark building will serve as a dynamic hub to drive innovation and shape a better future for society. Designed for applied learning and pioneering research, the new space will foster collaboration and empower industry and academic partnerships for impact across the globe."Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Derby
Cutting-edge facilities
The seven-storey building features cutting-edge facilities including a creativity lab, a finance lab for budding investment bankers complete with Bloomberg and London Stock Exchange Group terminals, a logistics lab, lecture theatres, technology-enabled classrooms and an XR suite to create an immersive learning experience.
Complex design supported by offsite solutions
The new Cavendish building is bespoke in its design and testament to Kier’s skills and experience in delivering modern learning environments.
One of the most eye-catching features of the new building is its ‘floating’ steel stair structure, a design challenge for the Kier team to deliver as they are entirely self-supporting and needed to be rigid enough to span the distance covered while resisting vibration and movement under heavy footfall. To address this the project team identified a solution incorporating a box section design structure, that could be completely prefabricated offsite and then carefully lifted into the central void for a safe and effective installation.
The stunning roof light deck structure in this central staircase area was delivered onto the site as truss sections in two halves as part of a bespoke assembly solution due to their size and scale, resulting in an impressive finished lighting effect in a key focal point of the building.
Most sustainable building on campus
The building, which has been designed from the ground up with environmental sustainability at its core, has a strong focus on wellbeing and biodiversity, supporting the University’s vision to become carbon neutral.
The scheme was designed using a post-tensioned solution reducing overall volumes of concrete. Renewable energy sources, low-carbon concrete and MMC have reduced embodied and operational carbon, helping to achieve the University’s carbon goals.
"Handing over this world-class business school was a major milestone that we are delighted to celebrate with the University of Derby. The new Cavendish Building is cutting-edge, bespoke in its design and is a testament to Kier’s skills and experience in delivering modern and sustainable learning environments. This flagship building will serve as a hub of collaboration and learning, benefitting the staff, students and local community for decades to come."Tony Shenton, regional director, Kier Construction Eastern & Midlands,
Social Value:
£24.6M was spent with local SME’s during this project. We also carried out 502 apprenticeship weeks, and 363 hours of volunteering and school engagement, to leave a lasting legacy for the local community.
Flagship building:
The external form and materials create a grand, civic presence. The ‘red plinth’ is strongly influenced by the industrial heritage of Derby while the contrasting, contemporary top ‘beacon’ offers landmark status.
Inspirational features:
Key design features include a complex 36m geometric atrium with floating stairs and low carbon, prefabricated modular façade, which integrates with existing University buildings on Agard Street.
Going the extra mile:
Another striking feature of the building is its stunning exterior, which was originally going to be made up of a Glass Reinforced Concrete cladding system. When the original supplier fell out of the market, Kier had to find an alternative and landed on a pre-cast panel solution which could be suspended off the main frame with windows pre-installed.
Fabricated in Ireland and then shipped to Lincolnshire, the windows were installed offsite and the panels then delivered and lifted straight into position. This resulted in better quality control, speedier erection and fewer joints between panels, meaning a much safer option for working near culverts close to the building and a sharper aesthetic.