Today, we exclusively reveal a luxury housing development which will house some of the most expensive loft apartments Brighton has seen.

The interior transformation of the former Brighton College of Technology has begun. It is a far cry from what went before.

The badminton court is still marked out and a sign outside one forbidding door says Chemistry Laboratory.

The library is strangely peaceful and the corridors seem poised to welcome the next batch of noisy students celebrating the end of another day.

However, the students have gone for good and now builders in hard hats are the only ones left to tramp across the building's mosaic floors and descend its ornate grand staircases.

Soon the imposing red-brick College of Technology on Richmond Terrace will be home sweet home to commuters, business people and young professionals.

Although probably not to many students.

The Grade II listed building has played a key role in the life of Brighton since 1897.

Built from the proceeds of a newly introduced government tax on whiskey, the building has been the starting point for many of the city's craftsmen, engineers and caterers.

In 1907 it became the Municipal Technical College and these words are still displayed in brick on the front of the building.

Designed in the Gothic style popular in the late Victorian era, the building's high vaulted ceilings were a reflection of the Victorians' belief that volumes of space allowed fresh air to circulate, reducing colds and other ailments.

The large windows were designed to allow light to flood into the building, allowing students to do detailed technical work.

Now the 18ft-high ceilings and enormous windows have a new purpose - making the elegant building a highly desirable living space for the modern house-hunter seeking light and space.

Many of the students who roamed the building have gone on to become teachers, chefs, dental nurses and hotel receptionists.

Most could only dream of owning one of the quality apartments which will soon extend over two floors and sell for £460,000 each.

The building is being converted by London-based developers London Town, who have christened the project 1897.

The scheme will include 48 private galleried loft apartments, with prices ranging from £180,000 to £460,000. The first occupants are likely to move in next autumn.

The lofts have one, two and three bedrooms and range up to 1,943sqft in size - equivalent to the size of an average house.

Much of the living space will be double or triple height, including mezzanine floors with glazed balustrades, some with special "sliding walls" revealing the living areas below.

All period features are being retained, restored and incorporated into the project, such as the wood ceilings and stained glass windows and the entrance hall, staircase and landings, which are ornately decorated in the Victorian style.

Jonathan Buchanan, chief executive of London Town, said: "This will be one of the best loft developments in Brighton and is likely to become one of the city's most prestigious and sought-after addresses."

Keith Ewart, operations manager for the project, stressed the building's history would be preserved.

He said: "Our designers care passionately about this building. Its history is such a saleable asset - why would we wreck it?"

With that promise in mind, we arranged for a former college student to return to the building where her career began.

Sheila Chambers was a student there from 1971 to 1973, followed by a spell as a lab technician in the Eighties before returning as a lecturer in 1993.

She too cares passionately about the building and it was with trepidation that she agreed to return to the place she last entered more than a year ago.

She was accompanied by fellow college employee Bernadette McAdam, who joined the staff in 1993.

Sheila said: "I am concerned the building's original features are maintained.

"The college had to move - this building was expensive to run and heat and was outdated for the needs of a modern technology college.

"The new building is much more suitable but I liked this place. It was its ambience."

Peter Harris, project development director responsible for 1897, tried to reassure Sheila and Bernadette as he prepared to show them around.

He said: "I don't think you couldn't have an emotional attachment to this place. That is why I think most people would prefer to live in a place like this than in a brand new flat."

The first stop on Sheila and Bernadette's tour was the former gym.

Mr Ewart said: "When we came in here we found the college had left every single piece of furniture behind. In the gym we found badminton nets, basketball nets and a few gym mats.

"The lecture hall still had all its benches. The benches, basins and bunsen burners were still in the science labs. I went to college so long ago that I thought they had left behind leading-edge technology.

"They even left us their fire extinguishers. The library was one of those rooms you had to respect. I felt like tiptoeing about."

Standing in the old gym, Sheila's first thought was for its windows.

She said: "It was difficult to see how you would keep the big original windows."

Mr Harris said: "No new developer could build this. In London, if a school is converted they have no problem selling because of the generous windows.

"This is a developer's dream. You would never design in this detail and wouldn't get the craftsmanship either."

Entering the old lecture theatre, Sheila said: "The acoustics in here were brilliant. This room had a warmth and ambience about it that I don't think I'll ever forget and I don't think the students will either."

Moving on to the labs where she was a technician, she said: "This was the sort of place you imagined someone like Alexander Fleming would work in the early days of science."

Mr Harris said: "The building still feels a bit like a school and I would hope a bit of that could be retained. I think it's quite fun living somewhere with a history."

Meanwhile, Bernadette was standing in the former ladies' toilets, gazing at the stained glass windows she had never noticed before.

She said: "Everyone has been wondering what the inside of the old college will look like and it's really exciting to see what is happening.

"It's a lot better than I expected. They have retained all the original features, which is lovely. It looks good. It's clean and streamlined."

In July 2001, the Brighton College of Technology was renamed Brighton and Hove City College.

Richmond Terrace was closed and the various faculties relocated to modern buildings.

The 1897 development will provide luxury living while attempting to meet local housing needs for people on lower incomes.

It will include 13 newly built apartments for private rent, set at an affordable level for lower-income households, and 11 converted apartments for shared ownership.

The scheme will be completed with a private communal landscaped garden, porterage, CCTV security, bicycle storage facilities and two communal cars, available for use by residents.

For further sales information, please contact Austin Gray on 01273 626567, London Town on 020 78395588 or go to www.1897brighton.com