Balfour Beatty wins student accommodation contract

UK-based contractor Balfour Beatty has been named as the preferred bidder for the University of Edinburgh's £110 million (€139 million) Holyrood Postgraduate Student Accommodation and Outreach Centre project. Balfour Beatty will finance the project, which is expected to reach financial close in spring 2013.

The 50-year concession contract involves the design, build and maintenance of student accommodation facilities, including housing for 1,160 postgraduate students, as well as an outreach centre for community-based teaching activities and continuous professional development courses.

The University's Combined Heat and Power Energy Centre will provide energy for the facilities.

The contractor has a long-standing relationship with the University of Edinburgh, having worked on numerous projects on campus over the past 18 years. Student accommodation is a key area of focus for Balfour Beatty, which currently has a portfolio of student accommodation design and build contracts across the UK amounting to more than £120 million (€150 million).