Main contractor Shepherd Construction has completed work on Loughborough University's £14.7 million striking new Design School.

The 7,760m² East Park Loughborough Design School, designed by Burwell Deakins Architects, includes innovative teaching and lecture spaces, research laboratories, workshops , computer suites, offices and café. It brings together the University's design-focussed activity and will further enhance its position as a world leader in the field of design.

The concrete framed building includes exposed concrete walls and floors that suit the requirements of the workshops that will be fitted out with heavy machinery. The south-facing slopes of the roof are also built from concrete with saw tooth angled sections that required careful casting before being clad in zinc aluminium honeycomb backed pre-fabricated insulated Metsec panels that match the rest of the façade.

As well as providing good thermal stability, the concrete saw tooth roof allows a high quality of light into the interior without any glare.

Colin Sargeant, Shepherd Construction's managing director for the East Division commented: "We're delighted to have completed the Design School and look forward to the new facility providing both the right environment for students and the right image that will promote the University's strength in design."

Andrew Burgess, Loughborough University's Director of Facilities Management, said: "The University is delighted to achieve completion of the Loughborough Design School.  The project has been challenging but has delivered a very impressive building that will allow academic and research activity to flourish and make a real contribution to the Loughborough student experience."

This has been the third project at Loughborough University for Shepherd Construction, having previously completed work on the swimming pool and the national cricket academy.