Teesside University celebrates winning Client of the Year

Teesside University has been announced Client of the Year for its excellent collaborative work on the Cornell Quarter accommodation.

The university received the award earlier this month at the Constructing Excellence in the North East awards ceremony hosted at the Gosforth Park Hotel.

Teesside University worked in collaboration with Wates Construction to design and construct the £21.4millon accommodation which welcomed students in October 2020.

Cornell Quarter accommodation provides an extra 300 en-suite rooms for students, along with gym, games lounge and cinema, on the doorstep of the Campus Heart.

David Wingfield, Regional Director North East at Wates Construction:

“It’s a genuine honour for Wates Construction to deliver the very best in student and learning facilities, on time and on budget, and with zero defects for Cornell Quarter.

“This could not have been achieved without the dedication, vision and remarkable leadership provided by Darren Vipond and Jill Thompson in Campus Services, who acted as a conduit between Teesside University and the construction team.

“Winning Client of the Year is an outstanding achievement, and I would like to congratulate Teesside University on winning this truly deserving award.

“I am proud of the collaboration between the construction team, the university and all other stakeholders.

“It’s a perfect example of how a collaborative approach is an extremely effective and successful way of working and it also appears that the judges representing the industry seen fit to single out Teesside University for its excellent collaborative work.”

Jill Thompson, Deputy Director of Campus Services at Teesside University said:

‘We are delighted to have achieved this award as it recognises all of the hard work that has gone into the design and construction of the Cornell Quarter.

‘Working closely with Wates enabled us to deliver student accommodation to rival any in the sector.

‘Winning the award helps put us in a good position with the construction sector as we embark to deliver the next phase of our campus masterplan.’

The Constructing Excellence awards are a celebration of the UK’s built environment.

The criteria for the Client of the Year category focuses on clients who demonstrate clear and consistent leadership, real benefit to their organisations and commitment to their procurement based on quality and value.

Winners of the regional awards will go through to the national final to be held in London on Friday 28th January 2022.

The Cornell Quarter forms part of Teesside University’s Campus Masterplan which is seeing £300m invested up to 2026 to further enhance the experience of all our students, staff, and partners.

Take a look at the Cornell Quarter development plan here: