10 November 2025

The transformation of Bury College’s Woodbury Building in Greater Manchester has now completed.

Reimagining the existing building, the new facility provides a stunning cafeteria and professional kitchens, social spaces, and new garden for students, staff, and visitors to enjoy. In addition, the Wilson Mason-designed scheme features a new entrance and enhancements to existing windows to maximise natural light whilst minimising solar gain, reducing energy use and enhancing indoor comfort.

External view of the garden / patio area of Bury College

Following our successful support for the Beacon Building, our team returned to Bury College once again to support this latest development. Working in partnership with the design team and main contractors, HH Smith & Sons, our team provided building services and structural designs.

Formerly home to the Hair and Beauty department, which was relocated to the new Beacon Building, our M&E design for the Woodbury Building delivered much needed improvements to the energy efficiency and comfort through upgraded heating, ventilation, and electrical systems, in addition to better insulation, and renewed internal finishes.

In a boost to accessibility, the scheme also saw the creation of a new entrance which is designed to accommodate all users and removing the requirement for separate entrances. Our structures design enabled this feature entrance, with our specialists also unlocking the potential of the revised internal spaces.

Celebrating the transformation of Bury College’s campus in a recent statement, Mike Bromley, Head of Estates and Health and Safety at Bury College, said: “Leading this project over the past three years has been a real privilege. Working alongside our fantastic design team and builders, we’ve made huge improvements across many parts of the College estate. In what feels like three very short years, we’ve transformed the College and made a real, lasting difference to the learner experience. The best part has been seeing these new spaces come to life and genuinely make a positive impact – not just on the college community, but on Bury as a whole.”

It’s fantastic to see the Woodbury Building reach completion. This redevelopment will make a lasting difference for students, staff and visitors, and I’m sure it will prove a popular addition to the facilities on offer at the College. It has been a real pleasure to work in partnership with the College in recent years to help them achieve their goal for delivering a more sustainable campus, and we look forward to working closely with them once again in the future.

Tim Davies
Waterman’s Director for Building Services

To learn more about how we’re unlocking the potential of learning spaces across the UK, head to our dedicated education sector webpage.