A group of University of Plymouth students took a day out of the classroom to visit Linden Homes at Sherford to learn about housebuilding and try their hand at bricklaying.
The 40 undergraduates are studying courses in architectural engineering, construction project management, building surveying and quantity surveying. As part of the visit, they enjoyed a site tour so they could see homes at different build stages, which was conducted by area build manager Lee Summerfield; project manager Trace Mabley; site manager Alex Kittle; assistant site manager Paul Medway; assistant site manager Paul Caers; PR manager Emma Mackay; and sales consultant Vicky Castley.
Lee commented: “It was great to welcome the students to Sherford and show them an active construction site. I was really impressed with the questions they asked and we had lots of discussions on the engineering challenges we face when creating a new homes development, such as topography and providing the necessary services.”
The students also viewed the unwrapped home, which features exposed walls and ceilings to reveal the piping, electrics and structural components of a new home.
Lecturer, Robert Freer, commented: “Gaining on-the-job experience is invaluable and really complements what the students learn in a classroom setting. We’re very grateful to staff at Linden Homes for taking the time to pass on their knowledge and expertise – it was very interesting and it’s definitely inspired them all. We especially liked looking behind the scenes in the unwrapped home, which was fascinating.”
Lee added: “Sherford is a flagship development and will take many years to build, so it’s wonderful to introduce the next generation to Sherford, especially as some of them may end up working here in future! We could definitely see some budding engineers, project managers and surveyors and we wish them every success.”
Daniel, a student, said: “I was really impressed by the high standard of work and felt like I learnt a lot.”
