FEATURE: GREEN BUSINESS
New Hi Tech & Digital Centre lights the way
On Friday 11 October, South Devon College hosted a grand Evening of Illumination, which stakeholders and key partners of the college attended to witness the final stage of the Hi Tech & Digital Centre development, with an inaugural impressive and dramatic display of the external light installation, solidifying the centre’s focus on hi-tech, digital and creativity. The connection with light is especially important and relevant as many of the local and regional businesses the college supports in the hi-tech sector are closely connected to photonics. Photonics, the physical science of light, is a significant and continually growing area of technological importance as it drives so much of our modern world, from communication systems with fibre optics, to lasers for use in medicine or manufacturing, construction and of course lighting technology itself with LEDs becoming increasingly prevalent. The design of the lighting for the building, built by Midas Construction, has been provided by the Award Winning Michael Grubb Studio. The college joins a long and illustrious list of Michael’s clients, which includes Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the McLaren 2018 F1 launch, and the Guinness Store House in Dublin. The lighting uses efficient LED
and lensing technology to provide the highest performance and lowest energy consumption and which have been specified from suppliers who utilise sustainable manufacturing processes, as well as ensuring the light unit components can be replaced in the future to avoid unnecessary wastage. They are manufactured from largely recyclable or reusable materials and components, and operate between dusk and 10pm. This ensures there is no wasted energy beyond the operating hours of the college and minimises light pollution. The lighting installation has been designed to be efficient, using the equivalent energy of an average electric kettle running for the same duration to minimise consumption requirements. To aid this along with meeting the operational needs of the Hi Tech & Digital Centre, a PV installation of 130 plus panels is located on the roof producing 120%
32 Chamber Profile Winter 2019
of the required building needs, resulting in the centre achieving a BREEAM rating of Excellent along with EPC A rating. Games and Interactive Media
student Ollie Gisborne was invited as the VIP to do the big switch on. Ollie had a direct impact on the
look of the inside of the Hi Tech & Digital Centre; he won a student competition to design the logo for the Java Café, which sits just inside the main entrance of the building. As a congratulations for winning the competition, he was also awarded with an Oculus Go VR headset. Laurence Frewin, Principal at
South Devon College, said: “As the new Principal of South Devon College, it is an honour to host this first formal event at our brand new Hi Tech & Digital Centre, welcoming students, staff and valued key partners, sponsors and
stakeholders.This evening was particularly special as we were able to show, for the first time in public, an illuminating display that reinforces and reflects the centre’s focus not only on hi tech, digital and creativity but also our sustainable credentials.” Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, Minister of
State for Local Growth, said: “We’re committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the UK and levelling up our regions as we prepare to leave the EU on 31 October.
The Hi Tech & Digital Centre Inside the Hi Tech & Digital Centre
‘Photonics is a significant and continually
growing area of technological importance’
“The South
Devon College Hi Tech & Digital
Centre will provide individuals with the
skills that employers need to support their growth in
a range of important local hi-tech businesses. It has been supported by £8.13m from the Local Growth Fund. “Our investment in Growth Deal
projects throughout the regions are helping to ensure that UK growth is inclusive and that no areas are left behind. Torbay and the wider Heart of the South West have an important role to play in the post- Brexit economies of the future.” The innovative £17m centre
provides a visionary facility for further education and training support towards the ever- expanding hi-tech, manufacturing, digital and creative sectors across Torbay, South Devon and wider regions. The centre aims to inspire the local community by showcasing the latest in world-class technology and equipment. The interior layout has been designed to follow cutting edge principles in future proofing an outstanding teaching and learning environment. Great emphasis is being placed on flexibility of space, the importance and need for social and collaborative study areas and
layouts of rooms which will mirror workplace processes and practice. The three-storey building, designed by talented architects from LHC Design, includes a link connection to the main building, with a further 15 dedicated work spaces for individual business units as well as two large, open plan collaboration zones, in addition to specialist computing, engineering, design facilities and the 100-seater screening suite. With the facilities available
within the Hi Tech & Digital Centre for training and education, and the focus on supporting the rapidly expanding sector in Torbay and surrounding areas, it’s expected that more talented individuals will find the opportunity to explore successes like this in a range of different sectors. The Hi Tech & Digital Centre
combines £8.13m from the Heart of the South West LEP’s Growth Deal funding from the Heart of the South West LEP, as well as funding support from European Regional Development Fund, Higher Education Funding Council for England, Garfield Weston Foundation, Torbay Council, South Devon College and private sector investment. It will be a flagship facility, alongside other Institutes of Technology developments in the country.
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