Siemens National Training Academy for Rail in Northampton

Continued investment in new trains for Eurostar and Thameslink meant that Siemens Rail Division and the National Skills Academy for Railway Engineering (NSARE) required an academy to upskill its UK workforce for rolling stock. This new academy building is located in Northampton and contains a large scale workshop and training and amenity spaces.

Services

The building successfully balances the functional requirements of the brief with the client’s aspiration for a high-quality environment where people will want to be and learn. The client asked for a modern learning environment and, due to its location adjacent to a main train line, a quality building emphasising the culture of Siemens Rail and NSARE.

Working in a team led by engineering, design and planning experts Arup Group Limited, we developed a building with a pleasingly modern aesthetic. The building has a simple, rectangular and mono-pitched roofed form which addresses the railway frontage and is entirely clad in polycarbonate that will glow strikingly when backlit at night.