– Award-winning student operator will manage residence for H.I.G and Primus
– 402-bed PBSA scheme will open in Autumn 2025 with bookings being taken now
– Scheme offers high quality, well-amenitised sustainable accommodation and aims to set a new bar for aspirational student living in Leeds
Student accommodation specialist Nido Living has launched a new 402-bed scheme in Leeds on behalf of Joint Venture partners H.I.G and Primus.
The award-winning operator of PBSA was appointed in 2023 to help launch and operate ‘The Fabric Works’, which will be opening in September 2025 and is ready for bookings. Nido has over 17 years’ experience designing, delivering and managing student accommodation in the UK and was involved with pioneering the first new high quality PBSA scheme of its kind with Blackstone in 2007.
The Fabric Works aims to set a new bar for PBSA in the City. Its vision has been conceptualised by the award-winning Tim Groom Architects and it has been developed by CODU in partnership with Primus, whose team have over 10 years’ experience delivering high quality student accommodation across the UK.
The building takes its inspiration from the arcades built in Leeds between 1878 and 1897, including Thornton Arcade, Queen’s Arcade, and County Arcade, and includes many features that are unique to the city.
The accommodation itself offers premium student living focused on customer experience, with vibrant outdoor and indoor social living areas and plenty of sustainability attributes, including connection to the Leeds PIPES heat network. Importantly, there is a wide array of amenities including a games room, private dining room, co-working and study spaces, a cinema room, a fully-equipped gym, a yoga and fitness studio, and private outdoor gardens.
Each studio room comes complete with a 43” SMART Ultra HD 4K TV, superfast WiFi connection, generous storage space, a fridge-freezer, cooking appliances, an ensuite bathroom, and acoustic flooring.
Leeds is one of the most popular student cities in the UK with a lack of premium-quality city-centre PBSA. With its high specification and proximity to all major universities and higher education institutions, The Fabric Works is one of the most anticipated new schemes in the city, redefining student living.
Nido is also well-renowned for offering a best-in-class student experience with an average 4.5/5 rating across Google, a 90% rebooking and referral rate, and an NPS of +41, 16pts ahead of the PBSA average.
Darren Gardner, COO of Nido Living said: “The UK student accommodation market continues to be hugely undersupplied, with an acute lack of the type of professionally managed and design-oriented homes that residents demand. Leeds has long been a favourite of UK and international students, and this continues to be the case. While there are schemes already in the city, we are confident The Fabric Works is unique and will set a new bar for aspirational student living offering the best accommodation and amenities, with an added focus on both wellbeing and sustainability. In addition, with a new stable UK Government and as immigration policy becomes clearer, we expect the numbers of international students to rise again with Leeds one of the cities on their radar thanks to its vibrant lifestyle, its top 100 ranking and being part of the prestigious Russell Group.”
Nido Living is also appointed on another scheme by H.I.G and Primus, a 380-bed PBSA development, The Sail Yard & The Sail Works, in Lancaster, in a nod to the site’s former use making sails.
Duncan Melville, Director at Primus Property Group, said: “Nido is an award-winning European PBSA operator who has raised the bar in student accommodation management and experience, and we’re excited to leverage their track record and brand for our assets in Leeds and Lancaster. Early engagement with Nido in the development of the schemes has helped us integrate both technology and sustainable design in a way that delivers a positive impact for the students who will be living in our buildings. A key part of our asset management plan is to have fun, inclusive, and community-oriented spaces with a friendly and trusted team on the ground 24/7 for our student community, and we are delighted Nido represents all of this at The Fabric Works and The Sail Yard & Works.”
To date, Nido has developed and managed over 18,000 student accommodation and coliving beds in the UK and Europe and is set to become one of the leaders in student-led accommodation,
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
