Pershore Junction is a new 127-bedroom purpose-built student building in the heart of Birmingham from developer Alumno. The £24 million project was funded by Who Hup Holdings Limited and built by GMI Construction Group. It has transformed a former BT brownfield site on Dogpool Lane to accommodate the increasing number
With the demand for purposed-built student accommodation (PBSA) predicted to soar, a new report from the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR) explains ‘Why Reinforced Concrete Makes the Grade for Student Accommodation’. The latest student population data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that for the 2021/22 academic year
LGIM announces today the completion, on behalf of Legal & General Retirement Institutional (LGRI), of its first direct-let Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) acquisition, following the purchase of the Aqua Portfolio from Global Student Accommodation (GSA). Building on its strong track-record of investing and lending into the sector, this marks
Leading volumetric developer Tide has secured a resolution to grant planning permission for their Hastings Road scheme. The development will transform the underutilised retail site into a vibrant mixed-use development, delivering 412 new student homes with communal and commercial spaces together with public realm enhancements. Located at a major junction
J3 Advisory, a prominent latent defects insurance and structured property finance advisory firm, was recently instructed by Dominus to source and place insurance for their latest development in Holborn that is situated within close proximity of London universities including LSE, Kings College London and Queen Mary University of London. 61-65
Leading building and civil engineering contractor, Farrans Construction, has completed and handed over a luxury 20-storey student residential scheme in Leeds city centre for client Infinity Construction Enterprise Limited, part of the YPP Group. A total of 212 studio apartments have been provided in the Live Oasis St Albans Place
Unite Students has secured planning permission to develop a 952-bed property in east London and a 500-bed scheme at a key Bristol location. The Stratford development, next to Meridian Steps near Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, is a 41-storey tower targeted to be completed in 2028. The construction of a
Linkcity, the development arm of Bouygues UK, and Crosstree Real Estate Partners are delighted to announce the financial close and start on site of the fourth phase of the regeneration of Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town, London, forming part of the £3.7 billion Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme.
Unite Students, the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation, has received planning approval for a landmark 952-bed property in east London and 500-bed scheme at a key Bristol location. The Stratford development, next to Meridian Steps near Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, is a 41-storey tower targeted to complete in
A new purpose-built student accommodation scheme being built in the heart of Leeds city centre’s Arena Quarter has topped out and the scaffolding has now come down to reveal the new Merrion Street landmark, ahead of the development opening this summer. The part five, part seven and part nine storey
Pershore Junction is a new 127-bedroom purpose-built student building in the heart of Birmingham from developer Alumno. The £24 million project was funded by Who Hup Holdings Limited and built by GMI Construction Group. It has transformed a former BT brownfield site on Dogpool Lane to accommodate the increasing number of students from local universities, including Birmingham’s School of Dentistry. David Campbell, Alumno Managing Director said: “It is wonderful to see this dynamic building come to life and provide accommodation for Birmingham’s expanding student population. Working with the local authority and community was integral to the buildings’ success and it has re-energised the overlooked site to offer a unique student experience and enhance this vibrant university town.” Philip Johnson, Head of Investment at Who Hup, commented: “Woh Hup is delighted to launch this new property at Pershore Junction to add to our existing portfolio of 1000+ operational PBSA beds in the UK. We believe high-quality purpose-built student accommodation in tier one locations in the UK offers great opportunities to investors. We are extremely grateful to the Alumno and GMI teams for their support in delivering a best-in-class building and look forward to welcoming students in Sept 2024. We continue to look for further development / funding opportunities around the Selly Oak and adjacent areas”. The contemporary brick building is distinctive yet fits appropriately into the wider fabric of the local area and has been designed by architects Howells. Alan McCartney, Partner at Howells said: “Pershore Junction contributes appropriately to the ongoing transformation of Stirchley, with the design delivering a contemporarily crafted brick and terracotta building, that remains clearly of its place, drawing reference to materials and details found on several local landmarks, including Selly Park Church and Dogpool Lane Hotel. Stirchley is a fantastic part of Birmingham and the quality the whole team have been able to deliver will serve to set the benchmark for new buildings coming forward in the area – we have always remained committed to providing design excellence for this site and the design overall has benefited significantly through community and local authority involvement.” Gareth Jones, Divisional Managing Director, GMI Construction Group PLC stated: “As part of our ongoing partnership with Alumno, we’re delighted and incredibly proud to see another fantastic project complete. This new purpose-built student accommodation has been delivered to an incredibly high standard and has been sustainably designed and built to meet the needs of Birmingham’s ever-growing student population.” Alumno is a strong advocate of enriching the surrounding areas of all its student developments by seeking opportunities to integrate the arts using local creative talent. At Pershore Junction they have worked with local artists to deliver a poetry installation from Birmingham’s former poet laureate, Casey Bailey and a student photography exhibition. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
With the demand for purposed-built student accommodation (PBSA) predicted to soar, a new report from the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR) explains ‘Why Reinforced Concrete Makes the Grade for Student Accommodation’. The latest student population data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show that for the 2021/22 academic year the number of full-time students rose by 4%, to over 2.26 million. Meanwhile, the number of international students from India and China has more than offset the fall in EU students in the wake of Brexit as the UK continues to be one of the key global destinations for students looking to study abroad. Between 2019/20 and 2021/22, the number of full-time international students rose by 117,500. The increase in student applications and numbers is set against a growing shortage in student accommodation. This shortage is being exacerbated by the falling supply of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) resulting from landlord regulation and tax changes. Since 2017 there have been over 300,00 buy-to-let mortgage redemptions which has reduced the number of 5-plus bedroom rental properties by 31% since 2019. The reduced supply of private landlord HMO’s is increasing the demand for PBSA particularly from overseas students. To address the disparity between supply and demand more PBSA needs to be constructed. Reinforced concrete offers a wide range of inherent and free performance benefits that are particularly suited to building student accommodation. These include built-in fire resistance, significant noise and vibration reduction, thermal mass for energy efficiency and long-term robust finishes. Steve Elliott BAR Chairman explained: “Reinforced concrete offers a number of unrivalled performance benefits that means it should be awarded a 1st class degree with honours for the construction of PBSA. These concrete benefits are inherent and built-in. There is no need for any additional products, finishes or chemical preservatives. This significantly reduces both initial capital and the ongoing maintenance costs.” With regards to long-term sustainability reinforced concrete again gets top marks. The issue of sustainability is important for PBSAs. Students are some of the most motivated in tackling climate change reducing CO2 emissions. Elliott said: “Admittedly, the use of concrete construction raises questions concerning the level of construction embodied CO2 when compared to other structural materials such as timber. However, if you have to mechanical ventilate and cool a lightweight timber or steel building then the resulting operational CO2 emissions, over the lifetime of the building, will far outweigh any initial construction embodied CO2 savings.” He continued: “Similarly, concrete does need additional fire proofing, sound insulation, wall finishes, flood resilient materials. All of these additional materials have an additional CO2 impact for their manufacture and installation. With concrete construction all of the above performance benefits are provided without any further environmental or financial cost”. He added that all the reinforcement made in the UK is made from recycled scrap steel using the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) process which consumes only a third of the embodied energy, emits one sixth of the CO2 and produces approximately half the amount of co-products (waste) compared with the traditional BOS blast furnace steelmaking process. Reinforcing steel can be recovered, recycled and re-used at the end of a building or structure’s service life. To download a copy of ‘Why Reinforced Concrete Makes the Grade for Student Accommodation’ visit: www.uk-bar.org/publications Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
LGIM announces today the completion, on behalf of Legal & General Retirement Institutional (LGRI), of its first direct-let Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) acquisition, following the purchase of the Aqua Portfolio from Global Student Accommodation (GSA). Building on its strong track-record of investing and lending into the sector, this marks the launch of the L&G Student Living Platform. The GSA portfolio consists of two high quality, modern PBSA assets located in Exeter (Clifford House) and Glasgow (Scotway House). Both assets completed in 2019 and have proven historic rental growth, consistent 98%+ occupancy and have established a strong reputation in each of their respective student markets. Clifford House in Exeter consists of 312 bedrooms and Scotway House in Glasgow consists of 399 bedrooms, the assets were purchased for a combined pricing of c.£122m. LGIM has been operating within the student accommodation sector for more than 10 years following its first investment in 2011. It currently manages over £1.2bn in the sector, across equity and debt investments. The new direct-let PBSA strategy will look to target operational, up and built PBSA units no older than five years old. LGIM aims to deploy c.£0.5bn of capital into the sector over the next two years, with the longer-term goal of growing the portfolio to over £1bn and directly managing c.5k beds across the UK. The PBSA strategy complements L&G’s track-record in the investment, development and operation of residential assets – with over £1.1bn1 invested across suburban build to rent, affordable housing as well as later living. Having launched in 2016, LGIM’s build to rent strategy has committed over £3bn2 of institutional capital into the sector and expanded its portfolio to 24 schemes across 13 cities nationwide; cementing its position as a leader in the market. Neil Dovey, Head of Annuity Transactions, LGIM said: “We’re excited to have made our first direct-let acquisition in the student accommodation space. These assets provide high quality PBSA accommodation, situated in locations benefitting from strong academic institutions and demand from students, looking for buildings designed to meet the requirements of modern university life.” Adam Burney, Head of Annuity BTR & PBSA, LGIM commented: “Investing in direct-let PBSA assets forms the next iteration of our Living Sector strategy. The sector has demonstrated its alignment to our strategic requirements, which includes a significant focus on ESG and provides diversification. Following the success and growth of our BTR platform, this strategy further supports the long-term investment goals of LGRI.” Andrew Kail, CEO, Legal & General Retirement Institutional (LGRI) added: “Pension scheme capital is being put to positive use in the real economy – with tangible benefits across generations. These buildings provide students with quality accommodation, while the British economy as a whole should benefit from long-term investing in real assets. We’re proud of how expertise from colleagues has unlocked these benefits for both the new generation as well as the long-term future of those looking to a sustainable pension.” Knight Frank advised LGIM on the acquisition, MTRE advised GSA 1,2 – Legal & General internal data as at April 2024 Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading volumetric developer Tide has secured a resolution to grant planning permission for their Hastings Road scheme. The development will transform the underutilised retail site into a vibrant mixed-use development, delivering 412 new student homes with communal and commercial spaces together with public realm enhancements. Located at a major junction adjacent to West Ealing underground station, the new student homes will alleviate pressure on the local housing market while driving new activity to the site by providing commercial space and an improved public realm. The project will be delivered using Tide’s innovative volumetric technology, which involves precision-manufacturing volumetric units before assembling them onsite. This approach is proven to reduce construction programmes by up to 50% while also cutting embodied carbon. It also minimises onsite disruption, logistics and defects. The volumetric units are built in controlled factory settings by Tide’s sister company, Vision Volumetric. The development has been designed around an external courtyard space at the heart of the site to complement students’ lifestyles. Additionally, residents will benefit from the scheme’s extensive and thoughtful amenity spaces, designed to ensure a welcoming and nurturing living environment for students. The plans also feature a biodiverse roof and photovoltaic panels, which add to the project’s environmental benefits.Helen McManus, Head of Planning at Tide, said: “We look forward to breaking ground on Hastings Road and contributing to West Ealing’s vibrant urban fabric. This exciting project marks a significant new addition to Tide’s portfolio of student accommodation projects, and we would like to thank everyone involved in this process. Our proposal seeks to be an exemplar of student development, with high-quality living conditions and generous internal and external amenity space.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
J3 Advisory, a prominent latent defects insurance and structured property finance advisory firm, was recently instructed by Dominus to source and place insurance for their latest development in Holborn that is situated within close proximity of London universities including LSE, Kings College London and Queen Mary University of London. 61-65 Holborn Viaduct, a student accommodation development designed by Stiff + Trevillion Architects and Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects is set to address the pressing need for student housing in Central London. Nestled beside the historic Holborn Viaduct and involving complex tunnelling systems, the project was incredibly challenging to insure due to its intricate design. J3 senior advisor, Matthew Blackhall recognised early on that traditional insurance approaches which often rely on finalised designs, would cause delays. He was able to negotiate arrangements with a provider that allowed for technical audits on site for initial sign off purposes before the insurance placement to ensure the development was being inspected by the insurer. Industry-leading engineering consultants, Bureau Veritas were engaged on behalf of the LDI provider, Build-Zone for the inspection process – This ensured uninterrupted construction progress, effectively mitigating risks and preserving valuable time. Developers that take a long-term position in the PBSA space are increasingly looking to LDI as a means to not only protect against structural defects but also safeguard their income streams and enhance asset marketability – the standout feature being the inclusion of loss of rent coverage, offering income protection for up to three years from practical completion. This provision provides invaluable peace of mind, ensuring continuity of revenue even in the event of unforeseen setbacks. Upon receiving relevant sign off from the technical team and the insurer, the resulting latent defects insurance policy sourced by J3 advisory was A-rated, on full sum insured basis and included loss-of-rent. Matthew Blackhall commented: “It was a pleasure working with Richard and the team at Dominus on a project that promises to leave a lasting imprint on London’s cityscape. Their proactive approach in securing latent defects insurance adds another layer of confidence to the development’s longevity and success, reflecting their commitment to excellence and foresight in mitigating potential risks.” Lee Saywack, Executive Director at Dominus commented: “Our plans for the scheme in Holborn are now progressing at pace, and this appointment means we are a step closer to delivering much-needed new student accommodation. I am grateful for J3’s support to help us realise our vision of creating a thriving new neighbourhood in the heart of the City.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading building and civil engineering contractor, Farrans Construction, has completed and handed over a luxury 20-storey student residential scheme in Leeds city centre for client Infinity Construction Enterprise Limited, part of the YPP Group. A total of 212 studio apartments have been provided in the Live Oasis St Albans Place development, featuring kitchens, bedrooms, en-suites, storage and living facilities. The range of communal spaces includes a gym, communal lounge, kitchen, study spaces, wellbeing lounge and eighth floor roof terrace. The property is aligned to the existing Live Oasis brand and maintains the client’s reputation for high-quality studio-based student accommodation, with a luxurious interior design and enhanced amenity space. Farrans continues to build on its presence in the region having recently been appointed as the main contractor for the Phase 1 terminal extension as part of a £100m regeneration project at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA). The company has also secured a spot on a major works framework covering highways and transportation projects in Yorkshire. Alongside the alliance partners, Farrans will deliver projects valued over £7m. The framework firms will be used by Leeds Council and the wider Yorkshire Highways Alliance, which also includes the councils of Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees Council, York and Calderdale. It will also be available to any local authorities or contracting authorities who are a wholly owned subsidiary of the local authorities within the Yorkshire and Humber region. Cathal Montague, regional director for Farrans Construction, said: “Live Oasis St Albans Place has been an exciting and challenging project in the heart of a busy city centre location and we are proud to have delivered an unrivalled luxury student experience which matched our client’s expectations. We had an excellent project team on the ground who worked collaboratively with our client, architects, the management company YPP and our supply chain to minimise disruption while remaining on target and on programme. “Our experience of constructing student accommodation and high-rise properties using sustainable approaches means that we were well placed to deliver a cutting-edge design which relied exclusively on precast construction from the first floor upwards with a façade design and high-quality material palette. We have been able to optimise the speed of construction using innovative technology without compromising on the luxury finish. The precast panels offer a more sustainable approach to construction delivery as well as working well in a tight site footprint. We are looking forward to continuing our construction and civil engineering work in this region while also building on the relationships we have made so far.” The development is managed by YPP Student and Professional Lettings, which currently manages over 2,000 beds and 50 properties across seven cities with plans to expand further. Harry Granger, Head of Marketing & Business Change at YPP, said: “When we were planning St Albans Place in Leeds we wanted to achieve a new level of luxury for the student accommodation market. Our completed building provides the ultimate all-inclusive experience in the heart of Leeds city centre, an easy walk from cafes, restaurants, shops and a thriving student community. The bespoke apartments are spaces made for high-quality living while studying. We selected Farrans based on their experience in the student accommodation sector and also because they have delivered multi-room, tall buildings. We are pleased to have partnered with them on this project and we are delighted with the top quality finishes that have been achieved.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Unite Students has secured planning permission to develop a 952-bed property in east London and a 500-bed scheme at a key Bristol location. The Stratford development, next to Meridian Steps near Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, is a 41-storey tower targeted to be completed in 2028. The construction of a new entrance and exit to Stratford Underground Station is also part of the plans, providing a positive benefit to the local community by helping to alleviate passenger congestion and improve the area’s infrastructure. The Group’s Freestone Island development, in Bristol’s Temple Quarter, has total development costs of £73 million and is set to open in 2026. Unite Students is working in partnership with the University of Bristol through a nomination agreement on the property, which will guarantee rooms for the university’s students. This will assist the university in delivering high quality accommodation to support its growth in the Temple Quarter area of Bristol. Temple Quarter, in the heart of Bristol, is one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects – with 130 hectares of land being redeveloped to create a mixed-use community that includes office and commercial space, as well as pedestrianised green areas, alongside Unite Students’ student housing. The Quarter will be a key contributor to the West of England’s economy by creating new homes, jobs and generating income for the local area. Unite Students’ development, which has received full planning approval, will be close to its 600-bed Marsh Mills site, on Feeder Road, and the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, where up to 4,600 students will be based on completion. The new development will provide 4,500 sq ft of affordable workspace and will be BREEAM Excellent with EPC Ratings of A across the scheme. The Stratford project, which has approval with conditions and is yet to obtain full planning permission, will also deliver 1,151m2 of commercial space which will include workspace and a retail area. Part of the space is earmarked for Canning Town-based You Press, a social enterprise for young people and underrepresented communities. A total of 333 beds will be left at affordable rents; 30 beds will be in self-contained studio flats while the rest are in shared flats of 5 to 10 bedrooms. One in 10 bedrooms will be wheelchair accessible. The planning application was supported by University College London (UCL) and full planning permission is expected later this year. Unite Students is in the process of confirming a long-term agreement with the university for its students to let the majority of the beds. This will support the university’s recently completed UCL East campus in Stratford. Embodied carbon to practical completion is targeted at 730 kgCO2e/m2 (carbon emission equivalent per square metre), showing further progress towards the Group’s 2030 net zero development targets. Including this project, Unite Students’ total planned investment into Stratford is around £400m. This includes the delivery of 716 new beds and academic space for the London Academy of Excellence at its Hawthorne House property, which is replacing former office block Jubilee House on Farthingale Walk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Linkcity, the development arm of Bouygues UK, and Crosstree Real Estate Partners are delighted to announce the financial close and start on site of the fourth phase of the regeneration of Hallsville Quarter in Canning Town, London, forming part of the £3.7 billion Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Programme. Phase 4 of the Hallsville Quarter proposes a new and exciting home for students in London developed by Linkcity, with design by PRP Architects and interiors by Holloway Li. The scheme comprises 375 purpose-built student accommodation rooms and a range of market-leading student amenity space with a roof terrace and landscaped public realm. As with the previous phases, Bouygues UK will be the main contractor and will take a low-carbon, sustainable approach targeting BREAAM Excellent. This project marks the penultimate phase of the £600 million Hallsville Quarter Masterplan and is expected to complete in the summer of 2026 ahead of the 2026 / 2027 academic year. In total, the Hallsville Quarter development will provide over 1,100 private and affordable homes, over 30,000 square metres of leisure and retail space and a new hotel all located directly opposite Canning Town underground station. The masterplan also provides new public spaces including play areas, pedestrian links, cyclist provisions and secure parking spaces. Oliver Campbell, Development Director of Linkcity said, “This is an exciting and pivotal moment as we reach financial close on the fourth stage of the Hallsville Quarter masterplan and commence work on site. The location of this development, in the thriving new town centre in Canning Town, will provide a vibrant area for students with excellent links into the centre of London. We are delighted to commence this joint venture with Crosstree and look forward to seeing the progress on site as we reach the final stages of this landmark, residential project.”Peter Robinson, Partner at Crosstree Real Estate Partners, added, “Crosstree continue to be active investors in the student accommodation sector benefiting from attractive cyclical and secular fundamentals. Given the market dislocation for forward funding transactions of this type, Crosstree is excited to partner with Bouygues UK, a best in class contractor/developer in taking forward a thoughtfully designed and highly specified PBSA scheme. Canning Town is a strong student location with excellent connectivity via the Jubilee Line to major university campuses in Stratford and London Bridge with 160k+ students within a 30-minute travel time. Together with our partners we look forward to the successful realisation of this project.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Unite Students, the UK’s largest provider of student accommodation, has received planning approval for a landmark 952-bed property in east London and 500-bed scheme at a key Bristol location. The Stratford development, next to Meridian Steps near Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, is a 41-storey tower targeted to complete in 2028. The construction of a new entrance and exit to Stratford Underground Station is also part of the plans, providing a positive benefit to the local community by helping to alleviate passenger congestion and improve the area’s infrastructure. The Group’s Freestone Island development, in Bristol’s Temple Quarter, has total development costs of £73million, and is set to open in 2026. Unite Students is working in partnership with the University of Bristol through a nomination agreement on the property, which will guarantee rooms for the university’s students. This will assist the university in delivering high quality accommodation to support its growth in the Temple Quarter area of Bristol. Temple Quarter, in the heart of Bristol, is one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects – with 130 hectares of land being redeveloped to create a mixed-use community that includes office and commercial space, as well as pedestrianised green areas, alongside Unite Students’ student housing. The Quarter will be a key contributor to the West of England’s economy by creating new homes, jobs and generating income for the local area. Unite Students’ development, which has received full planning approval, will be close to its 600-bed Marsh Mills site, on Feeder Road, and the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, where up to 4,600 students will be based on completion. The new development will provide 4,500 sq ft of affordable workspace and will be BREEAM Excellent with EPC Ratings of A across the scheme. The Stratford project, which has approval with conditions and is yet to obtain full planning permission, will also deliver 1,151m2 of commercial space which will include workspace and a retail area. Part of the space is earmarked for Canning Town-based You Press, a social enterprise for young people and underrepresented communities. A total of 333 beds will be let at affordable rents; 30 beds will be in self-contained studio flats while the rest are in shared flats of five to 10 bedrooms. One in 10 bedrooms will be wheelchair accessible. The planning application was supported by University College London (UCL) and full planning permission is expected later this year. Unite Students is in the process of confirming a long-term agreement with the university for its students to let the majority of the beds. This will support the university’s recently completed UCL East campus in Stratford. Embodied carbon to practical completion is targeted at 730 kgCO2e/m2 (carbon emission equivalent per square metre), showing further progress towards the Group’s 2030 net zero development targets. Including this project, Unite Students’ total planned investment into Stratford is c£400m. This includes the delivery of 716 new beds and academic space for the London Academy of Excellence at its Hawthorne House property, which is replacing former office block Jubilee House on Farthingale Walk. Tom Brewerton, Group Development Director at Unite Students, said: “Unite Students is leading the purpose-built student accommodation sector and these London and Bristol developments are unique offerings in their respective cities – two cities where we already have a strong footing and are committed to investing in further. “We are excited to get started with construction in the swiftest possible timescale. It is fantastic to have received approval at planning committee for this exciting new Stratford development that will positively contribute to the area’s changing skyline. “Bristol is one of the most undersupplied markets in the UK for purpose-built student accommodation and our Freestone Island project provides Unite Students with the opportunity to grow further in the city by providing high quality, value for money rooms for our students and university partners. “We are trusted by parents, students and universities to provide quality, safe and affordable accommodation that supports the entire university experience and are committed to delivering our record development pipeline to meet this demand.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A new purpose-built student accommodation scheme being built in the heart of Leeds city centre’s Arena Quarter has topped out and the scaffolding has now come down to reveal the new Merrion Street landmark, ahead of the development opening this summer. The part five, part seven and part nine storey building has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects and is being delivered by Urban Developments (York) Ltd on a site previously occupied by a bar and nightclub. In late 2022, Q Investment Partners (QIP), the Singapore headquartered private equity real estate firm, acquired the scheme in a deal worth approximately £15million. James Coppack, from QIP Development Group, said: “We are very proud of our recent collaboration with Urban Group that included a strategic revamp of our product standards as we continue to best position our upcoming UK PBSA developments. This Leeds asset will be an important addition to our expanding student housing platform.” Once complete the development will offer 88 high specification studio apartments with associated amenities, including a lounge, gym, study rooms, a cinema room, laundry facilities, staffed reception area and cycle spaces, and will be operated by Prestige Student Living, the premium brand of Homes for Students, ensuring a high-quality living experience for the residents. Nick Gould from Urban Developments (York) Ltd, said: “Work on this development is progressing well which is testament to the strength and experience of the whole development team and everyone involved is pleased to reach these important construction milestones. “We’re now looking forward to completing the internal fit-out and are on track to hand the development over to QIP this summer, with students moving in for the start of the 2024/25 academic year.” Mark Henderson, a director from Brewster Bye, said: “After designing the scheme and securing planning permission for it in 2022, it’s brilliant to see it heading towards completion and now the scaffolding is down, it’s revealed the façade and high-quality materials that are a key feature of the development. “It’s also rewarding to see how its stepped design complements the surrounding streetscape, in such a great location, just a short walk from the universities and surrounded by bars, restaurants and shops, which will make it a very popular place to live.” QIP is a global leader in purpose-built residential real estate. As a fully integrated platform, QIP creates best-in-class living assets including PBSA and multi-family. The company invests in mature markets across the globe such as UK, US and Japan. QIP’s UK portfolio consists of 11 assets to date as it pursues a strategy to deliver c.2,000 beds across prime university cities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
