Work begins on University of Bristol’s new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus

The Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus development will bolster the entire Temple Meads area transformation, benefitting both the university and the city’s community.

The £500 million net carbon neutral campus has been given the green light to begin construction this month, and the development will be complete in three years’ time, opening in 2026.   

Preserving Bristol’s heritage through its construction on the historic site of the old Royal Mail sorting office, the new ‘Enterprise Campus’ will be a 38,000 sqm building comprising of the Business School, digital engineering research groups, a Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and the Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre. As the university said, this will see the students and staff, ‘come together with business and community partners to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges.’  

Not only will the campus be home to 4,600 students and 650 university staff, but members of the public will also be able to make use of the facilities and open spaces. Outside of university hours, in the evenings, weekends and during university holidays, the local community will be invited to take part in various events which will be held on site.  

The university campus is part of the wider ‘Bristol Temple Quarter’ regeneration project – the UK’s largest regeneration scheme – which aims to create 22,00 jobs, 10,000 new homes, and will generate £1.6 billion per year for the Bristol economy.

The wider project involves the construction of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, and alongside this, will also include 900-capacity student accommodation blocks, and a new entrance to Temple Meads station. This new entrance will allow passengers to emerge from the station straight into the heart of the campus, creating highly convenient accessibility.  

Working alongside architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and construction company Sir Robert McAlpine, Buro Happold was engaged to provide multi-disciplinary engineering services, including acoustics, MEP, inclusive design, and structural engineering.  

Claire SmitClaire Smithh, Partner and leading on the project, said: “The Buro Happold team is delighted that the build phase of this landmark project for Bristol University and the City of Bristol has started. 

“A true collaboration between the University and the city on this prime site in the heart of Bristol.“   

The West of England metro mayor Dan Norris noted: “After so many years of talking about hopes and aspirations for the area, this is another step along the way creating that fitting gateway to Bristol, and the West of England – one which will make our region an even better place to live, work and thrive.”