Stepnell starts flagship building for Nottingham Trent University’s expanding creative institute

Work is now under way on a six-storey building for Nottingham Trent University which will become the new headquarters for the university’s trailblazing Confetti Institute of Creative Technology.

Stepnell has been selected for a £5.6 million construction contract for the city centre flagship facility, designed by Allan Joyce Architects.

Featuring teaching spaces, a café, library, courtyard and a rooftop terrace, the new building – the redevelopment of a prominent site on the corner of Lower Parliament Street and Convent Street in Nottingham’s Creative Quarter – will enable Confetti to teach an additional 700 students over the next five years.

The Confetti Institute, which became part of Nottingham Trent University in 2015, provides industry-led vocational creative technology courses for further and higher education students in music technology, gaming, film and TV, radio and live events production.

Construction work on the new Confetti building began early May and is scheduled for completion in summer 2018. Externally, it will be clad in Cor-Ten steel and dark brickwork, echoing the appearance of existing industrial buildings on the Confetti campus. It also features an environmentally-friendly green or ‘living roof’ area, made up of plants, which will reduce storm water run-off and provide a wildlife habitat.

Craig Chettle, chief executive and founder of Confetti Media Group, says: “When I established Confetti ICT over twenty years ago, I always sought to have the very best people and facilities to inspire our students. Now, with NTU’s support, that ambition has been taken to a completely new level with these recent developments which further encompass our hopes and visions for the future. My belief is that Confetti will be firmly established as one of the best places in the UK to study creative and media courses, and the new hub will bring a boost to the city centre: both economically and aesthetically. Our plans for the space are ambitious and as well as training our talented young people, we hope the transformed building will become a landmark for the city.”

Edward Peck, vice-chancellor, Nottingham Trent University, comments: “I am delighted to be able to confirm NTU’s support for this initiative. I very much view this development as our ‘Creative Quarter Campus’. It will expand Confetti’s further and higher education offer, increase the number of course options available to students and will generate positive social and economic benefits, not just for the students fortunate enough to study there, but for creative businesses within Antenna and Nottingham’s Creative Quarter.”

Our Nottingham operations and commercial manager Thomas Sewell says: “We’re thrilled to be working on this high-profile scheme, drawing on our wide-ranging expertise in creating state-of-the-art educational buildings for the further and higher education sectors. As a local firm, we’re also proud to be helping support the expansion of this leading centre for the creative industries as well as providing superb new facilities for students and teaching staff. Our team will use their logistical planning skills and extensive experience of operating in ‘live’ settings and in sensitive locations to ensure that the work goes ahead with the least possible disruption at this busy city centre site.”