Construction Centre (The Alex Henderson Building)

The Alex Henderson Building is the new, state of the art home of the Construction Centre of Excellence at Hull College. The innovative building has pushed the boundaries of design and science.

Costing £4.4 million, the building was officially opened on Friday 28th September by Michael Smith of Yorkshire Forward. Impressing students, staff and guests alike with its eco-friendly yet stylish design, the centre will enable Hull College students to study professional construction programmes in a new, iconic building, a stunning addition to the City Centre.

Spanning all study levels from first year trades to construction professionals, the centre truly is a fantastic addition to the College’s already impressive campus.

Ian Dixon, Vice Principal at Hull College, commented, “It sets the benchmark, not only for sustainable buildings in the Hull and Humber region but also nationwide and in the further education sector.”

One of its many impressive features is the rainwater harvest tank underneath the car park. This collects rain water – up to 5000 gallons – which is then recycled to be used in the building for flushing toilets. 5000 gallons can last around a week without being refilled.

Temperature in the building is controlled internally by twenty-four geothermal boreholes, 100 metres deep, that are used to both cool and heat the building. They are linked to the floor slabs to provide under-floor temperature control on each of the building’s three floors.

Solar reflective glass has been installed to aid this system; the windows have no openings so the building can be controlled more efficiently. The system uses the thermal mass of the building itself to stabilise its temperature. It also uses a heat recovery system that takes thermal energy from the air before it’s released from the building.

Teaching facilities in the centre are superb, the gas installation unit has been designed for professional trades people looking to improve and certify their knowledge and skills both in commercial and domestic settings.

It is hoped that local companies will use the centre, not only to train employees but to hold conferences and meetings in the centre’s two meeting rooms that are available for hire.