Students welcomed to new Inverness College

The first phase of the ambitious Inverness Campus development has been officially completed this week with the opening of the new Inverness College

The new steel-framed college building will act as a focal point for the entire Campus as it is by far the largest single structure in the development.

Spread over three-storeys, the building offers more than 20,000m² of teaching and workshop space for some 6,500 students.

The building uses the diaphragm of the floor plate to transfer horizontal loading from the steel frame to the six braced steel cores. Where required, cross bracing has been provided within partition walls to give additional stability.

The weight of the structural frame was an important consideration, not just because it would be more cost-effective, but also because its lighter weight meant that pad foundations could be used and piling avoided.

BHC fabricated, supplied and erected more than 1,400t of structural steelwork for the project.
Described by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) – the Government quango responsible for local commerce and development – as a once in a lifetime opportunity, the Inverness Campus could generate around £38M for the regional economy each year and provide work for more than 6,000 people.

As well as the College, phase one of the Campus project includes a four-star hotel, student accommodation blocks, offices and research space.

Two further phases are planned: phase two will include leisure and sport facilities, and more office blocks, while phase three will be residential.