Ipswich Trade Training Centre

St Edmund's and St Mary's Colleges in Ipswich identified a need to expand their delivery of vocational training and offer a real world experience beyond that of a regular manual arts classroom. 

This joint venture project required the expansion of the existing manual arts block and the construction of a dedicated, stand-alone automotive centre, which comprises one truck and four car vehicle bays, as well as a number of teaching and support spaces. The design by Fulton Trotter Architects incorporates a functional layout intended to emulate a live commercial operation.

Space on site was severely constrained, requiring optimisation of the available area. Poor ground conditions necessitated the use of bored piers and suspended slab. The finished structure maximised the limited space with a linear design which also served the preferred teaching model which transitions students through practical activities to supporting works and theory rooms. 

Hutchinson Builders was also engaged to undertake concurrent works to refurbish the school’s science block.