Napier University has announced that a contractor has been appointed to begin work at its Sighthill Campus.

With demolition work now completed at the campus, Balfour Beatty will begin construction work on-site on 23 January.

As part of the University's £100m estates strategy, the redeveloped campus will bring the Faculty of Health, Life & Social Sciences together under one roof for the first time, and provide first-rate learning, teaching and research facilities for the 5,000 students and staff who will study and work there.

Dr Gerry Webber, Project Sponsor for Facilities Services at Napier University, said: "We are delighted to announce that Balfour Beatty will begin working on-site at our Sighthill Campus. This allows us to forge ahead with the redevelopment of the campus, which is central to our ambitious estates strategy.

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"The new campus will provide students and staff with hi-tech, well-designed facilities fit for a twenty-first century university and will create a landmark for the area."

The plans include a new building adjacent to the refurbished central spine of the existing building and a glass front atrium which will create a social hub for the building. The new campus will be student-focused and contain a variety of mixed learning spaces, including a Learning Resource Centre, clinical skills laboratories, IT-enabled lecture theatres and seminar rooms and sports facilities.

The development will also significantly contribute to the wider regeneration of North Sighthill and the local economy. The construction programme alone will support in the region of 100 full-time jobs. Sighthill will re-open for business early in the academic year 2010/11.

(GK/JM)