Working alongside main contractor TJ Evers, we carried out a full mechanical and electrical installation for the new educational building at Suffolk New College.

This stand-alone facility now serves as the base for the college’s health and social care programmes, as well as its science curriculum. The project incorporated a range of specialist teaching environments, including a mock hospital ward, nursery, biology and chemistry laboratories, and a dedicated physics space. The building was designed to accommodate the growing demand for high quality educational facilities.

The ventilation strategy centred on natural ventilation, supplemented by standalone systems serving the laboratory areas, tea points and toilet facilities. Domestic services were provided throughout, with a dedicated CAT5 water booster set supplying the laboratory and preparation rooms. The office and training spaces benefit from a VRF heating and cooling arrangement with local electric panel heaters serving the remainder of the building.

The electrical installations comprised high efficiency LED lighting, with suspended luminaires in teaching spaces and recessed fittings in the common areas. Smart lighting controls were fitted to optimise energy efficiency via occupancy detection and daylight dimming when natural lighting levels are sufficient. In addition, small power distribution was installed across the scheme, alongside fire alarm, disabled refuge, door access and security systems. The security and life safety packages were integrated into the college’s existing network, enabling remote monitoring and control.

With exposed soffits featuring in the primary rooms, precise coordination between the services and structural design was essential to achieve a clean, functional and visually coherent finish.