HICSA completes at Riverside Sunderland
Brims Construction has finished work on the Housing Innovation & Construction Skills Academy and will now hand over to Sunderland College.
Led by Sunderland City Council, the project team also consisted of Layer.Studio as landscape architect and Mawson Kerr as architect.
The Education Partnership North East, of which Sunderland College is a member, will now complete the fit-out ahead of the academic year starting September.
The facility will educate, train, and upskill students in how to create factory-built homes and is backed by Homes England and the MHCLG.
It will focus on MMC, low-carbon technologies, and Skills England priorities, and will collaborate with industry partners such as Northumbria University, Gentoo, Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.
Located at the Riverside Sunderland site, some of the 1,000 homes on the development will be built with input from students from HICSA.
Cllr Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for business, housing and regeneration, said: “The people of Sunderland have a rich history of making things and HICSA will further build on this proud heritage, providing our young people with the skills and knowledge required to make the sustainable, eco-friendly homes of tomorrow.
“It will also see hundreds of young people every year study in this transforming part of the city, increasing their dwell time in the city centre and their spend with local businesses.
“It is yet another exciting milestone in the development of Riverside Sunderland, which is fast becoming recognised as one of the UK’s most ambitious urban regeneration projects.”
Ellen Thinnesen, chief executive at Education Partnership North East, said: “This cutting-edge facility will be truly transformational – equipping local people with the skills they need to progress high-quality careers in the construction and housing sectors.
“HICSA will be a hub of collaboration, bringing together partners from across the region to tackle the challenges of to drive innovation, sustainability, and long-term growth.”
Brims director Jason Wood said: “We are delighted to complete such a significant building for the City Council and
Sunderland College, and we hope that studying at HICSA can inspire the next generation of construction workers into our industry.”
