Bury College awarded John Turner Construction the design and build contract to upgrade he Beacon Building and provide contemporary industry specific teaching and training facilities for the Hair & Beauty Department. This has allowed them to relocate from the outdated space at the nearby Woodbury building, which no longer meets their needs.

The ground floor of the refurbished Beacon Building is now home to a 12-bay media make-up studio, two commercial 24 station hair salons, a hair dispensary and a laundry room. Upstairs, the first floor houses three 12-bed beauty rooms equipped with facilities for nails and other beauty treatments, while the third floor features another hair salon alongside general teaching space to support the specialist classrooms. Selected salon areas will be open at specific times for members of the public to enjoy discounted beauty treatments.

With a target to achieve BREEAM Outstanding certification, careful consideration was given to the building services, in particular to the high simultaneous demand from the hair and beauty departments. Hybrid ventilation heat recovery units have been integrated throughout, providing energy-efficient air supply along with a purge boost extract system to manage the various odours from beauty products. Radiant panel heating ensures effective warmth in the larger teaching spaces.

Façade modifications include passive solar control strategies, such as the low-e glass utilised in the new curtain walling glazing and a brise soleil solar shading system on the south-facing elevation. These enhancements not only prioritise user comfort but also align with the college’s commitment to low-energy and sustainable design.

The requirements for this project were to enhance the quality of the learning environment, optimise space and layout efficiency. This allows the college to fulfil both current and future teaching and training requirements.

Client: Bury College