What's going on behind those hoardings?
At the minute, it’s a very large hole at the edge of the University of Huddersfield’s sprawling Queensgate campus.
But soon the first parts of the framework will be visible to thousands of drivers using Shorehead roundabout as a new £27.5m flagship building for the University takes shape.
The new building will be home to hundreds of staff and students at the Law School and part of the School of Music, Humanities and Media.
Dozens of contractors employed by Morgan Sindall are working on the site. They have spent the past few weeks excavating down below what was the Brunswick Building and the former University sports hall to lay the foundations of the striking six-storey building.
It will be adjacent to the Creative Arts Building and the most recent addition to the campus, the Student Central.
The new building is the latest in a series of massive construction projects for the University, who have spent more than £250m on improving the ever-expanding Queensgate campus.
And university chiefs have confirmed they are to use Huddersfield stone in part of the spectacular design.
Morgan Sindall has sourced £210,000 of local Yorkstone which will be used to clad certain elevations at building, which will be known as The Oastler Building in honour of Richard Oastler, the English labour reformer.
Some 166 tonnes of Yorkstone will be delivered from Johnsons Wellfield Quarries in Huddersfield which was established as a local company in 1854. It has supplied Yorkstone around the world, paving and cladding some of the best known buildings including London’s South Bank promenade and Victoria & Albert Museum, Sheffield’s award-winning Winter Garden and Tudor Square, and other projects at the University of Huddersfield.
Yorkstone is a type of sandstone which is favoured as a building material due to its durability and beauty.
Mark Heginbotham, project director from Morgan Sindall, said: “Where we can, we source materials, suppliers and staff from the local area and it is fantastic that we are able to use local stone in the creation of this landmark building”.
University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tim Thornton said: “The University is proud of the role it plays in supporting the region’s economy. To be able to work with local suppliers on projects is important to us, and we endeavour to do this wherever this offers best value”.
The Oastler Building should be completed by the beginning of 2017. The building will provide new teaching space including large tiered lecture theatres.
