In the age of ‘more for less’ where every penny counts and construction clients look to their contractors to make reduced budgets go even further, the Midlands office of Willmott Dixon has won recognition for how they delivered true value in building Landau Forte Academy in Tamworth.

The Coleshill-based company emerged triumphant from a strong shortlist of Midlands projects to win the “Value Project of the Year” category at the West Midlands Centre for Constructing Excellence’s annual industry awards.

The £30 million 11-16 Centre and Post 16 Centre was commissioned by Staffordshire County Council under the Partnerships for Schools (PfS) framework. It is operated by the Landau Forte Charitable Trust, whose trustees include property developer Martin Landau and hotelier Sir Rocco Forte. The new facilities opened in September last year and provide places for more than 1,800 pupils.

Willmott Dixon impressed the judges by shaving £2 million off the original project build costs and by sourcing and installing an innovative heating and ventilation system, which reduced annual running costs by around £200,000.

Nick Heath, operations director at Willmott Dixon, said: “More schools are urgently required across the Midlands to meet the growing need for pupil places. At the same time, the government is driving down costs in the education sector. Our work at Landau Forte shows best value can be achieved whilst still delivering high quality facitilies.”

Aedas Architects designed the buildings; Cox Turner Morse were structural engineers on the project.