The Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange at West Nottinghamshire College’s Chesterfield Road campus in Mansfield, provides 1,343 sq.m. of state-of-the-art teaching and innovation space. The new building was developed on the site of the college’s former art and design building, once home to the Mansfield School of Art. Original architectural features including the frieze, name stone, and cornice were carefully dismantled and form a striking feature entrance to the new facility.
Designed to support the delivery of T-Level courses with a strong focus on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and maths), the building incorporates facilities for construction, engineering, and digital technologies. It also provides a purpose-built space where students and partner Nottingham Trent University (NTU) can collaborate with local employers on projects that embrace evolving technologies helping to meet future labour market needs, close skills gaps, and create well-paid jobs in Mansfield and the wider district.
The building, set across two floors to accommodate the sloping site, features light wells to maximise natural light on lower levels, alongside heat recovery and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems to ensure a comfortable learning environment. Located to the rear of the college’s sixth-form building, both facilities co-exist on the same site.
Funding for the Future Tech Skills and Knowledge Exchange comes from a £4.3 million allocation from Mansfield District Council’s Towns Fund, £3.8 million from the Education and Skills Funding Agency through the second phase of the Further Education Capital Transformation Fund, and a further £734,000 contributed by the college and NTU.