When it comes to education, Identity Consult has always done its homework.
The team’s portfolio ranges from schools, to colleges, to universities across the North East, North West and Yorkshire – reshaping estates to meet modern teaching, research and community needs; from sports and social centres to complex science and medical learning spaces.
Education projects tend to be large, visible and long-lasting – buildings that students, staff and the wider city use every day, and that reality has shaped Identity Consult’s pragmatic and collaborative approach over the years. “CitySpace for the University of Sunderland was the first big project of my career and it was the one that made a difference to me personally and professionally,” recalls Andrew Milnes, Identity Consult’s Senior Director in the North East who has spent 20 years delivering in the education sector.
“I was involved from the outset and saw the project through to completion. The team worked fabulously together, it won awards and that success catapulted us into many other projects in the sector.”
For Simon Allan, Education Lead and Senior Director, a similarly defining moment came with the Stephenson Building at Newcastle University. This career highlight was, Simon says, one of the most complex and rewarding projects of his time at IC. “No two education projects are the same,” Simon reflects. “We’ve handled everything from six-month turnarounds to multi-year developments, and the ability to adapt to each institution’s vision, culture and constraints is what makes this sector so stimulating.” Simon led the Stephenson Building from conception to completion over six years, navigating the disruption of COVID to keep the project on track – an achievement recognised with industry awards for both architectural and delivery excellence.
Colleagues point to similar projects as moments that consolidated Identity Consult’s capability of delivering large procurements, complex stakeholder management and the technical demands of specialist accommodation. That experience has translated into longstanding relationships in the North East, North West and Yorkshire – and into a wider reputation for delivering both marquee buildings and strategic estate programmes.
What characterises Identity Consult’s education work is a dual focus of delivering individual projects to a high standard while helping institutions think strategically about their estates. Universities now face tough questions about how learning is delivered and how space is used. Andrew highlights a core challenge: “Underused space, teaching blocks with seminar rooms half empty for much of the day, and budget pressures mean universities need to look hard at estates and how they are best planned out.”
Simon goes further, identifying a fundamental shift in how the sector must think about its physical footprint. “The reality is that many university buildings sit entirely empty between 6pm and 9am,” he observes. “The question institutions need to ask is whether they can shrink their overall estate, extend the teaching day, and bring in external partners, businesses, community organisations, to make better use of facilities during off-peak hours. That’s not just about efficiency. It’s a genuine alternative income stream.” That imperative has made estates rationalisation, masterplanning and flexible reuse central to IC’s consultancy offer.
The sector’s pressures are not only spatial but fiscal and environmental. Student behaviours and expectations have changed; fewer students follow the traditional four-year, full-time residential route, and universities must respond with spaces that support blended learning, part-time study and interdisciplinary work. At the same time, the Net Zero agenda places heavy demands on ageing estates. “Net Zero is tough with old estates,” Andrew says. “Universities need a masterplan and a mapped-out estate strategy that aligns teaching needs, ways of working and sustainability goals. It’s a massive investment decision and institutions need a really good reason to spend the money.”
Simon sees the challenge as three-pronged – ranging from sustainability and decarbonisation to meet Net Zero targets, building condition and fitness for purpose to bring older stock up to modern operational standards and above all, flexibility. “Every space needs to be built or retrofitted with the capacity to rapidly change its use,” he adds. “We don’t know exactly what future academic demands will look like, so the best thing we can do is design and deliver spaces that are ready for whatever comes next.”
Identity Consult has positioned itself to be that practical partner, with experience ranging from masterplanning and programme management, to cost control and decarbonisation work. Andrew says the team’s capability to support both strategic and delivery phases is a genuine differentiator: “We have successful projects linked to decarbonisation and estate rationalisation. That’s our strength, delivering programmes of work that make big changes, as well as delivering individual schemes. When we’re called upon, we have the experience.”
The consultancy’s work is often about turning constrained choices into workable plans – from advising where to concentrate investment, to reshaping underused teaching blocks into multifunctional hubs, or prioritising retrofit measures that deliver maximum carbon savings and operational benefit. It also involves careful engagement with the full range of internal stakeholders – academics, estates teams and students – to ensure decisions reflect how learning is genuinely evolving.
Looking forward, Andrew, Simon and their team see education continuing to demand joined-up thinking. Universities will need robust masterplans, targeted investment decisions and delivery partners who can manage complex programmes while controlling cost and programme risk. “Universities need to map out where they see student needs, ways of teaching and the Net Zero agenda,” Andrew says. “Everything is funding driven, so they must decide where to invest. Identity Consult can be part of that process.”
From CitySpace’s breakthrough to the Stephenson Building’s award-winning complexity, and from ongoing decarbonisation programmes to estates rationalisation, Identity Consult’s education portfolio demonstrates a readiness to partner with institutions through change – delivering buildings and programmes that serve students, staff and communities for years to come.
