College wins design award

South Staffordshire College’s Foster Centre, based at its Rodbaston Campus, has won a highly commended award at this year’s Southern Staffordshire Building Design Awards.

Run by the Southern Staffordshire Partnership, the awards seek to promote achievement of excellence in design and construction of buildings and spaces across the south of the county and are open to architects, developers and builders involved in a building, public realm or refurbishment project anywhere within the districts of Cannock Chase, Lichfield, South Staffordshire and Tamworth.

 The Foster Centre, opened by Sir Ranulph Fiennes in 2012, is a jewel in the College’s crown and incorporates the latest environmentally friendly technologies and practices, including Thermowood cladding which is extremely durable and provides a 30 year expected lifespan without the need for any chemical treatment, and stone-filled wire mesh gabions which form the rain screen cladding at ground floor level.  

South Staffordshire College’s entry was selected for the shortlist in the Summer of 2013 and an independent judging panel, led by Midland Architecture and Design Environment (MADE), visited the Foster Centre at the end of the year.

Jeff Marlow, Partnership Director at the Southern Staffordshire Partnership, said: "We are committed to continually raising the standards of design in the built environment and this Awards scheme is one of a series of measures to underpin this and make Southern Staffordshire an attractive place in which we live, work and invest.”

Receiving the award at the presentation lunch, South Staffordshire College’s Director of Estates, Steve Grant, said " I am delighted to accept the Design award on behalf of South Staffordshire College.  The judges commented that this is a clever building and we have created a very vibrant environment for learners.

The Foster Centre is a learning landmark which complements our world class facilities across South Staffordshire’s four campuses, including our recently completed state-of-the-art £6.6m refurbished Cannock Campus.”