New Teaching Block, Expansion, Bodmin College

Location: Bodmin College

Status: Completed 2023

Client: Cornwall Council

Value: £5.8m

MBA Consulting Engineers were appointed to provide full structural engineering services for the major expansion of Bodmin College, a secondary school located on a challenging sloped site to the southeast of Bodmin. The project supports the school’s ambition to increase pupil capacity while allowing for future growth across post-16 education.

Our involvement focused on delivering a cost-effective, robust structural solution that aligned with the school’s operational requirements and Cornwall Council’s sustainability goals. The new two-storey building accommodates general teaching spaces, IT rooms, staff areas, and welfare facilities, designed for flexibility and long-term durability.

Working closely with the design team, MBA developed a lightweight steel frame structure, optimised to minimise load on existing ground conditions while integrating with the site’s varying topography. The L-shaped form was carefully engineered to reduce the need for extensive retaining structures, enhancing buildability and controlling costs. The superstructure was clad in Forticrete blockwork with a resilient Equitone rain screen façade, selected for its longevity and low maintenance requirements.