Interserve has won a contract to develop a three-storey education facility for the University of York.

The building is part of a £16m development and will be located at the University's Heslington West Campus.

The development will contain wet laboratories, interactive spaces for students and a student services and administration centre.

An atrium linking the building with the Biomedical and Natural Sciences building will also be developed.

Bridge links to connect the first and second floors will be created to allow students to move between the two buildings.


The University's Department of Biology has successfully secured a £5m Higher Education Funding Council for England - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (HEFCE STEM) 2014 award to help fund the second phase of its development.

Enabling works began on site in July 2015 and the project is due to be completed in autumn 2016.

John Gittens, divisional director at Interserve, said: "We are looking forward to building a long-term relationship with the University of York as it continues to invest in world class facilities to attract the very best students, researchers and staff."

Professor Ian Graham, the head of department in Biology at York, added: "We are looking forward to working with Interserve in the development of the Bioscience Complex at York.

"With the doors of this exciting new learning space due to open for the start of the 2016/17 academic year we have a very busy year ahead."

(LM/MH)