Hawick's new build college
Work has started on the £4.5m Hawick campus of the Borders College which should open to student in 2008
Building contractors Kier Northern have begun to demolish a day care centre at the former Hawick Cottage Hospital clearing the site for the new Hawick campus, close to Hawick High School. Borders College gave the commitment in 2001 to ensure Hawick benefited from the regional education investment.
The new building will include a learning centre and construction workshop, an IT suite, a practical training office along with general teaching classes, meeting rooms and office space and planning consent has been given to convert the distinctive cottage hospital building on the upper site into residential apartments.
David Killean, Borders College Assistant Principal and Project Sponsor, said; “Borders College gave a commitment as long ago as 2001 that we would make sure that Hawick shared in the benefits of massive new investment in further education. Over the last six years there have been moments of optimism sometimes followed by moments of despair. Now the new Hawick Campus is due to open in August 2008”
"The building will include specifically designed spaces including a learning centre and construction workshop, an IT suite, a practical training office along with general teaching classes, meeting rooms and office space. 
Importantly its location, close to Hawick High School, will help develop close links between the school and the college and will encourage more school leavers to take the opportunity of entering further education and in some cases move on to higher education.
"It will allow for the continuation and expansion of local community learning classes both in the evening and during the day, will help to deliver the
Scottish Executive’s education strategies and will help support high quality vocational education. The building is of modern design with astate-of-the-art IT network and flexible teaching and social spaces.
In addition, considerable attention has been paid to the buildings environmental impact. The use of low energy lighting, water conservation measures, solar panelling, a highly efficient heating system, off site construction methods to minimise waste and improved facilities for cyclists are just some of the ways we are working to create an environmentally friendly building.”
The Borders College has campuses at Hawick, Galashiels, Newton St Boswell, Duns, Jedburgh and Peebles.
Web: http://www.borderscollege.ac.uk