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Sunderland City Council has picked local contractor Brims to deliver the £15m building within the Riverside Sunderland regeneration area.
Brims replaces Tolent as contractor for the job. Tolent had been appointed in September 2022 but it fell into administration in February this year.
The Housing Innovation & Construction Skills Academy (HICSA) will train people how to make prefabricated factory-built homes, the first of which is set to be put up at Riverside Sunderland.
The training facility will be based at Sheepfolds and will include the re-purposed existing goods shed on the corner of Hay Street.
Construction on the site is expected to start in the next month, with work expected to complete in 2025.
Brins director Jason Wood said “The scheme will educate, train, and upskill local people to create and build homes whilst learning a multitude of trades within our industry. Beyond bricks and mortar, we see this project as an opportunity to create a lasting legacy for the construction industry. By combining our construction expertise and the vision for the HICSA project, we aim to craft a space that will stand as a testament to innovation, quality, and purpose.”
Sunderland College will operate the academy with support from education and industry partners including one of the founding partners, the Ministry of Building Innovation & Education (MOBIE), which is led by TV architect George Clark. It will enable Sunderland people to build houses using panelised building systems and volumetric construction.
HICSA is one of several projects that will form Riverside Sunderland, including: the already completed City Hall and The Beam, as well as a new footbridge across the River Wear; an eye hospital; cultural venue; and the National Esports Performance Campus.
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