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Derwent Facilities Management (Derwent FM) has been awarded the Integrated Facilities Management Contract to manage all of the Royal College of Art’s (RCA) Estate for the next five years, subject to contract.
It will see Derwent FM manage all 12 buildings across RCA’s three campuses in South Kensington, Battersea, and White City.
Commencing in May 2024, the contract will cover responsibility for all hard and soft services such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, mechanical and electrical maintenance, cleaning, security, pest control, grounds maintenance, transportation and more.
Founded in 1837, the RCA has been rated the world’s top art and design university for the past ten years by QS World University Rankings and is the world’s most influential institution for postgraduate art and design studies, with 3,000 students.
Eamonn Tierney, Managing Director at Derwent FM said: “Derwent FM are hugely proud to have been awarded the contract with The Royal College of Art, an iconic and prestigious educational institution and look forward to working in partnership to deliver our services to the highest possible standards.
“RCA is world-renowned and to support that its facilities must run to the very best standards and that is what we provide. We’re really looking forward to managing such important buildings and facilities and supporting the continued success of RCA and its students.”
Paul Draper, Director of Estates at RCA said: “Student experience and customer service are at the heart of everything we do here as the RCA’s Estates team.
Our estate is not merely a collection of buildings; it is the backbone of our academic pursuits. The goal from the outset was to create a world-class environment for learning, research, and collaboration, ensuring that the Royal College of Art remains at the very forefront of higher education.
Derwent’s team were very impressive in being able to demonstrate their affinity and knowledge to support that ambition, and pure enthusiasm to deliver our vision.
We’re excited to have Derwent FM as part of our community and look forward to working collaboratively with them to propel our students and researchers to their future successes.”
About Derwent Facilities Management
Derwent Facilities Management are experts in facilities management for academic spaces and student accommodation, with a strong focus on the student experience. We are committed to providing spaces where students and academic staff are at the heart of everything we do.
At Derwent Facilities Management, we pride ourselves on our transparent and honest business approach. Throughout all stages of a project life cycle, we deliver efficient and supportive customer service whatever the length of contract. Customers of Derwent FM benefit from expertise in the academic sector, clearly defined costs, peace of mind and a solid working partnership.
As part of the Places for People group, we are a unique organisation that blends social responsibility with commercial strength, with our profits re-invested to regenerate communities via social housing and community initiatives.
About the Royal College of Art
Founded in 1837, the Royal College of Art is the world’s leading university of art and design. Specialising in teaching and research, the RCA offers degrees of MA, MPhil, MFA, MDes, MArch, MEd, MRes, Graduate Diploma and PhD across the disciplines of architecture, arts & humanities, design and communication.
A small, specialist and research-intensive postgraduate university based in the heart of London, the RCA provides around 2,800 students with unrivalled opportunities to deliver art and design projects that transform the world.
The RCA’s approach is founded on the premise that art, design, creative thinking, science, engineering and technology must all collaborate to solve today’s global challenges.
The RCA is home to more than 850 of the world’s leading academic and professional staff who teach and develop students in 34 academic programmes. RCA students are exposed to new knowledge in a way that encourages them to experiment.
The RCA runs joint courses with Imperial College London and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
InnovationRCA, the university’s centre for enterprise, entrepreneurship, incubation and business support, has helped over 81 RCA business ideas become a reality that has led to the creation of over 800 UK jobs.
Alumni include such major figures as Dame Barbara Hepworth, Bridget Riley, Henry Moore OM, David Hockney OM, Sir Peter Blake, Sir Ridley Scott, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Sir Frank Bowling, Sir James Dyson OM, Tracey Emin RA CBE, Chris Ofili CBE, Sir Anthony Finkelstein, Francesca Amfitheatrof, Erdem Moralıoğlu MBE, Bianca Saunders and Thomas Heatherwick CBE RDI.
The RCA was named the world’s leading university of art and design in the QS World Rankings 2024 for the tenth consecutive year (QS World Subject Rankings 2015-2024).
