Established in 1888, Blackburn College helps 10,000 students achieve their academic aspirations every year. Starting in 2005, a new masterplan was conceived by DLA Design to modernise the College. Tasked with creating a world-class student experience based on an improved relationship with the campus, it focused on consolidating the College’s estate onto one town centre site and replacing outdated buildings. The resulting masterplan reimagined a number of teaching departments and introduced new architectural landmarks, improved the circulation of the campus and dramatically reduced the floor area of the College’s buildings to improve cost effectiveness and efficiency. Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre and the RATH (Regional Automotive Technology Hub) formed the final two phases of the master plan and were completed in 2015.