Professor Richard B Davies, Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University, said: “Providing a world-class student experience is at the heart of the University’s mission and the Student Precinct and the Student Activity Centre proposal will transform the student learning, social, support, and commercial and retail spaces to better cater for modern study practices and deliver a greatly enhanced student experience.

“The Student Precinct and the new 8,250m² Student Activity Centre will be at the core of student campus life at Singleton Park and will modernise the University estate, protecting and enhancing Swansea University’s history and heritage, and investing to ensure that our students in the future will continue to benefit from high quality facilities.

“This exciting new project for the University, which will link the east and west sides of the Singleton Park Campus, streamlining and improving its layout, will be at the forefront of sustainable construction; employing sustainable, energy efficient building techniques, and renewable energy technology.”

Leading property, residential, construction and services provider Kier Group plc will be leading work on the new development, which is expected to begin in early Summer 2018 with completion expected by early Spring 2020.

Jason Taylor, Operations Director, Kier Construction Western and Wales, said: “Kier are delighted to be working in a collaborative partnership with Swansea University.

“It’s paramount to have a true understanding of the University’s aspirations for this prestigious project, this understanding combined with our higher education experience will ensure that we deliver a campus that both staff and students can be proud to attend.

“The development will also bring employment and career opportunities for the people of Swansea and South Wales now and in the long term future.”

This announcement for the Student Precinct and the new Student Activity Centre, which will be built on the site of the existing Digital Technium building, is the latest development in the University’s ambitious 10 year campus development programme, to build world-class facilities and an excellent student environment. 

The campus development programme is well on track with the delivery on time and on budget of Phase 1 of buildings at the £450m science and innovation Bay Campus, which opened in September 2015, and the additional Data Science building at the Singleton Park Campus, which opened in summer 2015.

Part of the original master-plan for the University, the £300m Phase 2 developments include new buildings at the Bay Campus and further enhancement of the Singleton Park Campus.

An additional 500 stunning new en-suite student residences will be opening at the Bay Campus this September, bringing the total number of rooms to just over 2,000.  Construction work has also started for additional student residences and facilities at the Bay Campus, which will open in 2019.

Investment in the student experience also continues at the Singleton Park Campus, with a new student hub opening on the ground floor of the Taliesin Arts Centre for September 2017.

Construction is well underway on the College of Science’s new Computational Foundry at the Bay Campus, and work will soon to start on the sixth building for the College of Engineering.

The Research Institute for Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies – or IMPACT – will deliver a high impact, transformative research environment for conducting world-leading science and technology development.

The University will also be celebrating the opening of the College of Science’s new School of Chemistry in the Grove building at the Singleton Park Campus this autumn, and welcoming back Chemistry students to Swansea.

“The ongoing commitment to develop and enhance both the Bay and Singleton Park Campuses demonstrates the University’s confidence in the future, and the promise to provide a world-class student and academic environment,” added Professor Davies.

For more information on these exciting developments at Swansea University, click here