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BDP Architects win prestigious award for Cardiff and Vale College’s City Centre Campus

Cardiff and Vale College’s iconic City Centre Campus has won the Welsh Architecture Award 2016.

BDP Architects won the prestigious accolade at the Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) Awards.

The RSAW Annual Awards champion and celebrate the best architecture in Wales. Successful projects reflect changes and innovation in architecture, while displaying a commitment to designing and developing buildings and spaces for the improvement and enhancement of people’s lives.

BDP worked closely with CAVC and the design and development of the College’s 16,000m2, £45m City Centre Campus in the heart of Cardiff. Designed for the local community as well as the College’s students, the landmark building features shops, Bae Coffi coffee shop, restaurant, salon and spa, business centre and space for community groups.

The RSAW judges praised the building, saying: “The bringing together of a wide range of activities into one city centre site places this learning ‘village’ designed by BDP right into the heart of the community it is intended to serve.”

They noted its “powerful presence” as a prominent landmark with a light-filled atrium that “has the feel of a sheltered, slightly meandering street”. The judges concluded that the campus, which opened in September, was “a fine and creative response to a complex brief, achieving excellent value for the client and quality of space and environment for the staff and students.”

CAVC Principal and Chief Executive Mike James said: “We are thrilled that our City Centre Campus on Dumballs Road has won this prestigious award. From the very beginning we worked closely with BDP, Rightacres, Willmott Dixon, Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government to ensure that this ambitious development in the historic Dumballs Road area would be a sector-leading learning environment for everyone; be they learners, employers or members of the local community.

“Our new City Centre Campus forms just one part of our ten-year vision to provide the best education and training facilities in Wales. With our new Cardiff International Sport Campus in Leckwith and work beginning on the exciting new Eastern High School at our Trowbridge site we are taking great steps in our plans to transform learning across the Capital Region.

“We are extremely proud of all our staff and stakeholders in delivering this new Centre Site and also thank the wider community in the Dumballs Road area for their patience, support and generosity.”

Regional winners will now be put forward for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) National Awards, and those who collect national awards will then be considered for the 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize.

ENDS

 

Notes to editors

  • Cardiff and Vale College is one of the top companies for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the National Centre for Diversity’s 2016 Top 100 Index
  • Cardiff and Vale College was awarded College of the Year at the 2015 Insider Business and Education Partnership Awards
  • Apply now to join CAVC in Sept 2016: visit for details
  • Why not follow the latest updates from Cardiff and Vale College on Facebook or Twitter @cavc?

For more information contact:

Chris Baker

Communications Officer

Tel: 01446 725003. Mob: 07932 770938

[email protected]


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