Case Study
Hwb Arloesi
Location:
Llysfasi, North Wales
Project type:
New-build Innovation Hub
Project value:
£10 million
Client:
Coleg Cambria
Completion:
2025
Project overview
JPS was appointed as Civil and Structural Engineer for the new Innovation Hub at Coleg Cambria’s Llysfasi campus, forming part of the college’s ambitious programme of campus redevelopment.
The £10 million facility has been designed to support the future of sustainable agriculture, providing specialist soil laboratories, a demonstration theatre, café, and modern learning environments for students and the wider agricultural community.
The Hub also creates opportunities for industry partners in engineering, forestry, and countryside management to showcase emerging technologies and innovations. The buiding achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating, and is an exemplar low-carbon educational facility for the next generation.
The engineering challenge
The scheme presented several challenges, including:
- Delivering a modern educational facility incorporating specialist laboratory, teaching, and demonstration spaces within a sustainable, low-carbon development.
- Integrating a hybrid structural solution that combined steel and timber construction to meet both performance and sustainability objectives.
- Developing a drainage strategy that reduced pressure on the existing campus drainage infrastructure while supporting the project’s environmental goals.
- Achieving the high sustainability standards required to support the scheme’s BREEAM Excellent aspirations.
The engineering solution
JPS was responsible for:
- Providing civil and structural engineering services for the new Innovation Hub development.
- Working closely with the timber frame supplier to design an efficient hybrid steel and timber structural frame.
- Designing traditional foundations and a suspended ground floor slab to support the building structure.
- Developing a comprehensive drainage strategy that maximised the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS).
- Delivering engineering solutions that aligned with the project’s low-carbon objectives and sustainability targets.
The outcome
- A landmark £10 million Innovation Hub that enhances Coleg Cambria’s agricultural and land-based education provision.
- State-of-the-art facilities including soil laboratories, a demonstration theatre, café, and flexible learning environments.
- Improved opportunities for collaboration between learners, educators, and industry partners across engineering, forestry, and countryside management sectors.
- A sustainable development designed to reduce demand on existing campus drainage infrastructure through the implementation of SuDS.
- A future-focused, low-carbon educational facility with a BREEAM Excellent rating and supporting sustainable farming and technological innovation.
