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Argyll College Construction Skills Centre Lochgilphead: Phase Three

Argyll College Construction Skills Centre Lochgilphead: Phase Three

Argyll College Construction Skills Centre Lochgilphead: Phase Three

Phase Three of the Argyll College Construction Skills Centre project has reached completion.

The third phase of the project was implemented by Argyll College UHI Ltd, led by their Principal Mike Breslin. The project comprises the construction of a brand new workshop and associated services, creating a live teaching zone for students studying engineering services at the college.

The site is gently sloping, framed by attractive woodland, with beautiful views out over Loch Fyne to Ardrishaig and provides an ideal environment to accommodate a first class training facility.

Work began on the project in August 2012 and was completed in October 2012. The new structure was built from a modular steel construction with composite panels on concrete substructure.

The Argyll College Design Team comprised Burnet Bell Architects, Cameron McDougall Mechanical and Electrical services engineers, and Binnie Murray & Hutton Quantity Surveyors.  MacLeod Construction Limited was the main contractor on the project.

Argyll College Construction Skills Centre Lochgilphead: Phase Three

Burnet Bell Managing Director, Iain Macrae, said:

“ArgyllCollegeis a new concept in Colleges. It is decentralised, with a number of interlinked learning centres throughout Argyll offering a wide range of courses and training. Individually the centres are modest, however collectively they combine to create a significant College.

“Lochgilphead is one of the principal towns in Argyll and presently houses one of these Learning Centres. On the outskirts of the town at Kilmory, Argyll College Construction Skills Centre – a relatively new addition to the network – has also been developed.

“The need to offer apprenticeship training in mid Argyll was seen as overwhelming and led to this new enterprise. There has never been a facility like this in Lochgilphead – and as the site has developed and continued to prove successful it has continued to expand.

Argyll College Construction Skills Centre Lochgilphead: Phase Three

“The workshop which was constructed during Phase Three is a hands-on, physical training area, where students can gain an understanding of what it will be like to work in a live construction environment. Phase Three is also supported by classrooms, workshops and covered working areas which were built during the first two phases of the project.”

Iain added:

“This was an extremely challenging project and we are extremely proud of our involvement withArgyllCollege. The construction of this facility also means a great deal to the local people of Mid Argyll as it provides apprenticeship training in the construction industry without having to move away from home.

Argyll College Construction Skills Centre Lochgilphead: Phase Three

“With work now complete on Phase Three of the project, planning permission is currently in place for the fourth phase of the development which will involve extending the classroom wing constructed during Phase One. This final phase has been designed to provide a best practice exemplar of different forms of construction technology and sustainability.”

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