McLaren Construction Midlands and North is making significant strides in delivering a landmark 323-bedroom student accommodation development on Talbot Street, Nottingham. The £25.8m project, located at 77 Talbot Road, is on track to welcome students in September 2025, with works progressing well. Designed by Leonard Design Architects, the development replaces a five-storey office block formerly occupied by Domestic and General, which relocated to a new development on Station Street, enabling them to further invest and remain in Nottingham. The demolition of the previous structure commenced in April 2023, with construction underway since September. The nine-storey building will include premium amenities including a gym, yoga room and social study spaces, alongside en-suite bedrooms designed to provide high-quality living standards. An entertainment room is also being built on the Wollaton ground floor which will include a cinema. The uppermost level of the building will feature premium studio apartments with larger footprints and exceptional views across Nottingham, offering a standout experience for students. With sustainability at the forefront of operations, the scheme is targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating, incorporating features including traditional foundations into Nottingham’s sandstone bedrock and adhering to rigorous planning conditions such as cave probing to protect the local environment. Key milestones in the project include the completion of the roof structure, marking significant progress towards the scheme’s 2025 completion, and the marketing suite was officially opened in autumn on Talbot Street – offering a dedicated space where prospective students can view the high-quality finishes and amenities that will be available. Internally, the accommodation has seen enhancements to its finishes, including feature walls and upgraded soft furnishings, which will elevate the overall living experience. McLaren Construction is deeply committed to sustainability and social value, and around 40% of workforce for Talbot Street was sourced locally. Working in close collaboration with the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, the project team has supported work experience placements and hosted two visits for civil engineering students. The first visit showcased health and safety and aspects of working on a live site, and the second visit focussed on the technical aspects of the project, such as design, its intent, and how the planning phase develops into live construction. The students were delighted to learn directly from colleagues in the industry about roles in which they aspire to join in the future. For the local community, McLaren has been proactive in maintaining an open dialogue with nearby businesses, providing a dedicated email address for enquiries, and carefully managing construction logistics to minimise disruption. The team is also working with the city council to provide new outdoor staff facilities for Huntingdon Academy. The Talbot Street team has supported charitable initiatives, raising £406 for the Lighthouse Charity through the Nottingham Half Marathon and participating in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day. A mental health talk by the Strong Men charity focusing on bereavement and support for construction workers was held last year, with plans for another session in early 2025. As the project progresses, key targets include completing internal finishes, installing furniture and carpets to the top floors, and removing scaffolding to reveal the brick and cladding façade. External paving works are set to be completed by summer, ensuring the project is ready for student intake in September. The Talbot Street development promises to deliver high-quality, modern accommodation tailored to meet the needs of Nottingham’s thriving student community while leaving a positive legacy for the local area. Darren Harding, Division Director at McLaren Construction, said, “The Talbot Street project is progressing exceptionally well, and we are proud to be delivering high-quality, sustainable accommodation for students that will enhance Nottingham’s offering. “The completion of the roof and the opening of the marketing suite mark key achievements, and we are excited to continue bringing this ambitious development to life in the coming months.” McLaren Construction is delivering Talbot Street on behalf of McLaren Property, the leading residential and student accommodation developer. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Real estate investor, developer and asset manager, Firethorn Trust, has exchanged contracts with Curlew Capital’s CST2 Fund to acquire the Poland House development site in Stratford, East London. With planning permission to create modern, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), Firethorn will deliver 284 high-quality student beds at the site. Accompanied by generous amenities, including dedicated study spaces, common rooms, and a residents’ gym, the development will feature 35% affordable accommodation. A dedicated community space will also be delivered as part of the scheme. Designed by architects Henley Halebrown, Poland House will be developed to a target “outstanding” BREEAM rating, in line with Firethorn’s commitment to delivering sustainable, best-in-class assets. The site is the third PBSA asset within the growing Firethorn Living portfolio, following the acquisition of a 204-bed development in Hackney Wick last September, and a 230-bed scheme in Leith Walk, Edinburgh, where work is well underway. Marcus Weeks, Director and Head of Firethorn Living, commented: “With excellent connectivity in the heart of a thriving student community, which has been the focus of significant regeneration in recent years, Poland House is a high-quality addition to the Firethorn portfolio. “This acquisition reflects our ambition to deliver first class, energy efficient student accommodation in prime university locations, as demand for modern living spaces continues to outstrip supply. We are extremely well capitalised and actively seeking further opportunities in the Living market this year, including more PBSA and co-living sites in London and across the UK.” Situated on Stratford High Street, Poland House provides convenient access to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford High Street DLR Station and Stratford Station, and sits within a 15-minute walk of both University Arts London and UCL East. Work on site will commence later in 2025 with completion due for the 2028/2029 academic year.  Charlie Oliver, Managing Director of Curlew Capital, commented: “Our team has worked hard to successfully secure a planning consent to deliver best in class sustainability credentials and an excellent living and learning environment for the students who will live here, creating much needed high-quality accommodation.  Curlew Capital, Savills and CMS acted for the vendor, Walker Morris acted for Firethorn Trust. For more information, visit www.firethorntrust.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

TPG Angelo Gordon has teamed up with developer Hollybrook to invest in the UK’s student accommodation sector, with initial developments valued at £200m (€240m). The partnership’s first projects include a 271-bed student housing scheme in Wimbledon, currently under construction by Hollybrook and set for completion ahead of the 2026/27 academic year. A second 300-bed development in London is also in the pipeline, with acquisition plans underway. Designed to acquire, develop, and manage purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), the joint venture has an ambitious pipeline spanning both operational assets and development sites. The partners aim to secure planning permission for over 1,000 student beds by 2025. Valerie Cox, Director at Hollybrook, said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with such a respected partner in TPG Angelo Gordon and look forward to acquiring a significant number of PBSA development sites in the coming years. The demand for high-quality student accommodation is clear, and we’re pleased that TPG Angelo Gordon shares our vision in this space.” John Parsons, VP at TPG Angelo Gordon, added: “We’re excited to complete the first in a series of transactions with our new student accommodation partner, Hollybrook. This venture aligns with our strategy of targeting supply-constrained student locations across the UK, catering to both domestic and international student demand.” With student accommodation in high demand and supply limited in key university cities, this partnership is set to play a crucial role in addressing the UK’s student housing shortfall. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Refurbishment specialists, Better Green Living, has unveiled the latest renovated student bedrooms at King’s College London’s Great Dover Street Apartments near London Bridge, marking the next stage of work in transforming the university’s residential offering. As the principal renovation and special works provider, Better Green Living has to date transformed over 60 flats, 392 bedrooms and bathrooms and 64 communal led kitchen spaces for the University, protecting the legacy of the revered institution. This is the latest milestone in the 17-phase refurbishment project at the Great Dover Street apartments, which is expected to complete later this year. Working collaboratively with King’s College London, Better Green Living consulted students at the outset of the project in 2021 to understand their needs and wants for student accommodation and communal spaces. The result is a scheme that blends architectural design, practicality of use, circular economy, and future maintenance considerations to create an inspirational study environment and modern space for students to socialise and relax. The flats have been fully refurbished to the highest industry standards, featuring complete rewiring and updated plumbing, as well as custom-designed furniture and murals in the bedrooms. Since 2021, Better Green Living has extensively refurbished spaces at King’s College London Stamford Street apartments, to promote sustainability principles and student wellbeing. Better Green Living has implemented a zero-landfill policy to help reduce waste during the project, using strict circular economy principles such as recycling and repurposing materials, and ensuring the durability of products to avoid waste. Charles Gallagher, Director of King’s Community Business Services, said: “At King’s Residences, we’re more than just a place to live – we’re a community where over 6,000 students each year come to grow, learn, and create lasting memories. Whether it’s navigating the challenges of independent living or celebrating milestones with friends, we’re here to support students every step of the way. “Our partnership with Better Green Living reflects our commitment to creating vibrant, inclusive spaces that feel like home. These upgraded residences aren’t just about a roof over your head – they’re about fostering connections, building life skills, and creating an environment where students can thrive during their time at King’s and well into their future.” Tom Dodson, Chief Operations Officer at Better Green Living, said: “We are proud to have created over 360 design-led environments for students living across King’s College London and to unveil this latest phase of works. We work to cause minimal disruption for students and all our projects are thoughtfully curated with students’ well-being in mind, creating inviting communal spaces for connection and ensuring personal rooms provide a comfortable environment for their private time. “With 17 phases in total across King’s College London student accommodation, we have already completed 12 and have five phases remaining. We look forward to starting the next phase to create 165 even more modernised spaces for new cohorts of students joining the university in 2025.” Better Green Group is a creative design and build production company, with three divisions, the newest of which is Better Green Living, a sustainably led construction company dedicated to bespoke refurbishment projects within the education and commercial sectors. For more information visit: www.better-greenliving.com/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Bouygues UK is thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the fourth phase of the Hallsville Quarter regeneration project in Canning Town, London. The project, part of the £3.7 billion Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme, recently held a topping out ceremony to mark reaching the highest point of the 11-storey development, well ahead of its expected completion in summer 2026.  This phase of Hallsville Quarter, developed in a joint venture between Crosstree Real Estate Partners and Bouygues UK’s development arm, is set to become a vibrant home for London students. The purpose-built student accommodation, designed by PRP Architects with interiors by Holloway Li, will feature 375 state-of-the-art student rooms, modern amenities, a roof terrace, and a beautifully landscaped public realm. Bouygues UK, as the developer and main contractor, is committed to a low-carbon, sustainable approach, aiming for BREEAM Excellent certification, and is incorporating features such as fully pre-fabricated bathrooms and self-delivering the building’s concrete frame and internal finishes.  Oliver Campbell, Managing Director of Bouygues UK’s development arm, said at the event, “We are proud to have reached this topping out milestone, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. This phase of the Hallsville Quarter regeneration represents a significant step forward in creating a dynamic and sustainable living environment for students. The location of this development, in the thriving new town centre in Canning Town, will offer students a vibrant area to live in with excellent links into the centre of London.”  Phillippe Bernard, the newly appointed CEO of Bouygues UK, added, “It’s impressive to see how much has been achieved across the Hallsville Quarter regeneration project. This milestone not only represents significant progress but also highlights our commitment to creating sustainable and thriving communities.”  The topping out ceremony marks a major achievement in the penultimate stage of the £600 million Hallsville Quarter Masterplan, which upon completion, will offer over 1,100 private and affordable homes, more than 30,000 square meters of leisure and retail space, and a new hotel. Conveniently located opposite Canning Town underground station, the development will also feature new public spaces, pedestrian links, cyclist provisions, and secure parking facilities.  Bouygues UK and Morgan Sindall chair a Construction Working Group for the borough, meeting quarterly to discuss best practices on social value. Bouygues UK works closely with local schools on various initiatives such as CV writing workshops, mock interviews, and volunteering in the local community. The project is offering 10 weeks of work experience opportunities with local schools, two paid placements for UEL engineering master’s students, and provisions for 12 apprenticeships starting this year. Additional initiatives include a half-day course for 20 local people in collaboration with Newham Works.   The topping out ceremony is a proud moment in the Hallsville Quarter project, symbolising progress and the promise of an exciting future for Canning Town’s urban landscape.  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

–        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

GMI Construction Group and developer Olympian Homes has celebrated the topping out of Rialto House, a £50m purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme on the site of York’s former Rialto Cinema and Mecca bingo hall. The four-storey development, named after the historic cinema which once played host to a performance by The Beatles, will offer 275 beds and 80,000 sq. feet of state-of-the-art living space. It will also feature a range of amenities including gym, yoga studio, games room, co-working spaces, group dining areas, integrated cycle parking, and landscaped courtyards. Honouring its cinematic roots, the development will also feature a bespoke in-house cinema. Located in Fulford, a 10-minute walk from the historic city centre and seven-minute bus ride from the University of York, it is well-positioned to meet the city’s growing demand for high-quality student accommodation. GMI is utilising a predominantly local supply chain for the project, reinforcing its commitment to supporting regional businesses and sustainable practices. Rialto House is scheduled for completion in time for the 2025 academic year intake, and is expected to make a significant contribution to alleviating the city’s current shortfall of student accommodation. William Sharpey, Senior Construction Manager for Olympian Homes, said: “Reaching the topping-out stage on time and within budget is a major milestone, and perfectly positions us to focus on achieving practical completion by June 2025. “Rialto House is set to raise the bar for student living. In a market with a significant undersupply of PBSA, it will provide students with an exceptional living experience, helping them thrive both academically and socially.” Ed Weston, GMI’s Commercial Director, said: “The topping-out of Rialto House is a testament to the seamless collaboration between GMI and Olympian Homes. It signifies the progress we’ve made in bringing this project to life, balancing and blending a modern design with the site’s historical legacy. “We’re proud to deliver a sustainable, best-in-class accommodation that addresses York’s critical need for high-quality student housing, while also enhancing the area’s unique character and community.” The site, rich in history and cultural significance, is adjacent to York’s Central Core Historic Conservation Area and within an area of archaeological importance. Once home to the iconic Rialto Cinema, which first opened in 1913, the site was most recently used as a car park following its 2003 demolition. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals