Located at the Richardson Road site, the brand new 9,000m2, six-storey building will feature a lecture theatre for 300 students, social learning spaces, seminar rooms, clinical suites, and academic and postgraduate offices.

Due to open in January 2020, the £39m scheme will provide teaching and learning facilities for Sport and Exercise Science Exercise, Human Nutrition, the School of Psychology, along with specialist facilities for the School of Medical Education.

To mark the major milestone, a ground breaking ceremony was held on the site, bringing together key figures from Newcastle University, builders Clugston Construction and lawyers from Muckle LLP, who are advising on the scheme.

Emma Stevenson, Professor of Sport & Exercise Science at Newcastle University, said: “The ground breaking was an excellent occasion to celebrate the partnership that is bringing this exciting new project to life. It is part of Newcastle University’s £500m investment in quality facilities that deliver an outstanding student experience and an excellent environment for our students’ learning, teaching and research.

“This new facility will be used by the whole University, promoting the development of cross-disciplinary research and teaching in sport and exercise science, psychology and nutritional sciences.”

Key University project

Located alongside the recently completed Park View Student Village on Richardson Road, the new facility represents the last phase of the development of this key University site, which includes a new Sports Centre currently under construction.

From the outset, Clugston and the design team, led by GSS Architects, have been involved in regular engagement sessions with the University and a group of key stakeholders from the Faculty of Medical Sciences. This allowed them to understand the University’s requirements and ultimately capture their brief.

John Manning, Clugston Contract Manager, said: “The collaborative approach adopted by the University has enabled all parties to contribute to developing the facility. Over the coming weeks, we will be engaging with our suppliers to deliver what we know will be a valuable resource for the University.”

Legal advice on the latest development was again provided by construction law specialists at Muckle LLP. Lucilla Waugh, Partner at the Newcastle-based law firm, said: “Working with the University and Clugston on the adjoining Sports Centre project certainly paid dividends in agreeing the stage one pre-construction services agreement with Clugston for this new academic building. We look forward to working with them further in successfully concluding the second stage.”