Balfour Beatty wins University of Edinburgh student accommodation contract

The University of Edinburgh in the UK has named Balfour Beatty as the preferred bidder for its £110m Holyrood Postgraduate Student Accommodation and Outreach Centre project.

Under the 50-year concession contract, Balfour Beatty will be responsible for design, build and maintenance of student accommodation facilities for the university.

The project will provide accommodation facilities for 1,160 postgraduate students, as well as an outreach centre and retail units.

After completion, the outreach centre will become the hub of the university’s community-based teaching activities and continuous professional development courses.

The University’s Combined Heat and Power Energy Centre will provide the energy for the facilities.

Balfour Beatty chief executive Ian Tyler said, "We have worked with the University of Edinburgh on numerous projects over the past 18 years and look forward to supporting them in realising their long-term aspirations to enhance the postgraduate student experience."

Balfour Beatty beat off competition from infrastructure firm UPP to secure the contract.

The City of Edinburgh Council has approved the master plan for the scheme drawn up by John C Hope Architects.

The first phase of the scheme includes a Richard Murphy-designed 252-bed student residence submitted for detailed planning permission in 2011.

In May 2102, Balfour Beatty secured a £12.1m four-storey refurbishment project for the renovation of a 1960s building at the University of Edinburgh.

Balfour Beatty currently has student accommodation design and build contracts worth over £120m throughout the UK.