A team from the Bristol office of international law firm Osborne Clarke has advised the University of Bristol on its new £500m Temple Quarter Campus, work on which is about to start in earnest.
Opening in 2026, the campus next to Temple Meads Station on Cattle Market Road, will enhance the university’s reputation as a global destination for world-leading research, education and innovation.
The site, which housed the former Royal Mail sorting office before it was demolished, will be home to 4,600 students and 650 university staff who will come together with business and community partners to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. Residential accommodation on nearby Temple Island will provide living space for around 900 students.
The Osborne Clarke team advised the university on construction procurement and contracts for the project, including with building group Sir Robert McAlpine, which has allowed construction work on the scheme, which was delayed by the pandemic, to begin.
The Osborne Clarke team was led by partner Chris Wade and associate director Sarah McCool. Associate director Laura Thornton and partner Catherine Wolfenden advised on procurement matters.
Sarah said: “The University of Bristol is an integral part of the region and this world class campus will bring significant socio-economic benefits to the city as well as cementing the city’s and wider South West region’s position as a global innovation destination. It has been a pleasure to support the university as it signs the contracts and work gets underway.”
As a global destination for world-leading research, education and innovation, the University of Bristol will strengthen the data science, digital innovation, creative industries, cyber and quantum sectors with its 38, 000 sq m academic building at the heart of the campus.
The building will be home to the university’s Business School, digital engineering research groups and Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre, as well as providing dedicated facilities for enterprise and community partners.
The university is working closely with Bristol City Council, the West of England Combined Authority, Network Rail and Homes England on the new campus.
Local communities will be welcomed on site to use the facilities and open spaces, and in the evenings, weekends and during university holidays, local people will be invited to take part in lifelong learning programmes, events, festivals and research activities.
Osborne Clarke is a recognised industry leader in the built environment providing a comprehensive lifecycle service and advising major real estate industry organisations, ranging from occupiers to property funds to developers and investors.
The firm, which employs around 800 people in Bristol, also has offices in London and Reading in the UK along with 25 international locations, including the in the US, Europe and Asia.
