Morgan Sindall has won a £15.6 million contract to upgrade student accommodation at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in North Mymms, Hertfordshire.

The company is in the process of demolishing existing accommodation at Northumberland Hall, built in the 1960s, to make way for 205 en-suite bedrooms and a refectory.

The scheme will feature nine accommodation blocks around a central courtyard. Eight of them will be split into three and four-storey pairs, linked by a semi-enclosed walkway. There will also be a standalone three-storey block. Each floor will contain six en-suite rooms plus a communal kitchen/lounge area. The bedrooms, including guest rooms, will be finished to a high standard and incorporate fitted bespoke furniture.


Externally, the top two floors will be constructed using vertical timber cladding to complement other buildings on the college site. On the lower levels the external facing rustic brick work will reflect the countryside surroundings.

The refectory building will be constructed using reinforced concrete with a steel frame above the first floor. The 200-seater restaurant for students will be based on the ground floor, while the first floor will be occupied by three training rooms.

The project, commissioned by RVC Developments Ltd, is due to be completed in September 2011.

(CD/GK)