Greystar, a global leader in rental housing property management, development, and investment, celebrated the structural completion of its Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Wembley with a topping out ceremony organised by construction partners McAleer & Rushe, and attended by senior representatives from Brent Council and the Greater London Authority. The Canvas Wembley site, Greystar’s first ground-up PBSA asset under the Canvas brand, will consist of 770 beds and is strategically located close to transport links (four-minute walk to Wembley Park tube station), providing access direct to central London, and near the iconic Wembley Stadium. Set within the North East Lands development, the site is part of a 12-acre district that will ultimately deliver 2,347 residential units of varying tenures next to the biodiverse seven-acre Union Park. Wembley Park is now an established neighbourhood, and an increasingly popular environment for students to live. The well-amenitised scheme will feature two lounges, co-working spaces, as well as a café, activity space, library, gym, yoga studio and private dining areas. The Canvas brand is all about creating a lifestyle that matches the needs of its residents, and students will be invited to partake in a full annual calendar of events, as well as gain access to the innovative Canvas app which offers a convenient home for maintenance and parcel services, exclusive offers and promotions. A comprehensive wellbeing programme including events, talks, and a Student Assistance Programme will also be available to those enrolled in partnership with university stakeholders. In a significant step towards sustainable finance, Greystar entered into its first Green Loan in the UK, to acquire the site from Quintain in April 2023. The financing underscores Greystar’s commitment to delivering an environmentally responsible and sustainable building, ensuring that the project adheres to the highest standards of ESG criteria. The scheme will be all-electric to reduce its carbon footprint, connected to the District Heat Network to provide efficient heating solutions, and equipped with roof PV panels. Construction Partners, McAleer & Rushe are delivering the scheme as a Whole Life Carbon Assessed project, achieving a LETI A rating for the building structure and is on track to achieve its 500kgc02e/m2 (A1-A5) embodied carbon target upon completion. Ben Mowbray, Managing Director- UK Student Investment, Greystar, said: “London is a highly attractive market for student accommodation investment, facing a scarcity of high-quality options despite its status as one of the top global capital cities for students. This is a significant milestone in the growth of our Canvas brand in the UK, and we were delighted to mark the occasion with Brent Council, who have been an important partner in the delivery of the scheme. Canvas Wembley is set to transform the student accommodation landscape in Wembley Park, offering a modern, sustainable living environment for students that supports both their academic journey and personal growth.“ Mark Allnutt, Executive Director, Europe, Greystar, said: “We look forward to completing the fit out of Canvas Wembley and welcoming our first students for the 2025 academic year. The project forms part of our wider strategy to increase our UK student accommodation footprint and develop new supply in a market characterised by acute shortages. We are constantly on the lookout for well-located, brownfield sites to develop high-quality, purpose-built accommodation from the ground-up.” Darragh Greenan, Contracts Director, McAleer & Rushe, adds: “We are delighted to be delivering this landmark PBSA project for Greystar and to contribute further to the ongoing transformation of Wembley Park. Over the last 8 years, we’ve built a strong and meaningful relationship with the community and look forward to continuing to collaborate with Brent Council to promote local employment opportunities. NE01 showcases the significant efforts our business is driving to reduce embodied carbon, with focuses on innovative efficiencies within the concrete frame and maximising offsite fabrication. We’re on track to exceed our Sustainability targets on NE01, underscoring our commitment to delivering our projects safely and sustainably.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

GMI Construction Group has completed the £24m Pershore Junction purpose-built student accommodation in Birmingham on schedule – with rooms already being reserved ready for Autumn term. The 167 bed state-of-the-art development in the suburb of Stirchley consists of 101 studios and also features a student hub, communal spaces and enhanced retail space. Led by specialist student developer Alumno, the vibrant living space is ideally located for the city’s universities, together with Birmingham’s School of Dentistry. A launch event marking its completion was hosted by Alumno and was attended by the delivery team and key stakeholders. It also coincided with an Alumno-sponsored Birmingham student photography competition and exhibition organised by Photo North which featured a series of talks by notable photographers. Designed by Birmingham-based Howells, the Woh Hup-funded scheme incorporates brickwork and terracotta detailing that reflects the area’s architectural heritage while also providing the building with a distinct identity. A highlight of the development is an interior poetry garden, a unique and peaceful social space created in collaboration with Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey and Writing West Midlands. The garden includes landscaping, seating, and cycle stands. Situated at the intersection of Dogpool Lane and Pershore Road, Pershore Junction has successfully transformed the former BT brownfield site and its completion strengthens Alumno’s successful partnership with GMI Construction Group, which recently delivered the nine-storey Church Inn student scheme in Manchester and the Terry Frost Building, a 411-bed student accommodation, in Leeds. 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.” Gareth Jones, GMI Construction’s Divisional Managing Director in the Midlands, said: “We are delighted to see Pershore Junction completed, which will help tackle the shortfall in high-quality student accommodation in the city. This development underscores GMI’s expertise in constructing multi-occupancy buildings, particularly in the student sector, and highlights our ongoing successful partnership with Alumno.” Philip Johnson, Head of Investment at Woh Hup, added: “We are delighted to launch this new property at Pershore Junction to add to our existing portfolio of more than a thousand student beds in the UK. “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 September. We continue to look for further development and funding opportunities around the Selly Oak and adjacent areas.” 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, which remains clearly of its place. “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.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Watkin Jones is pleased to announce that Bristol City Council Development Committee (‘the Council’) approved plans for the development of a 484-bed purpose-built student accommodation (‘PBSA’) scheme on Malago Road, Bedminster in Bristol earlier this week. This development represents one of the final projects of the Bedminster Green regeneration area and follows two years of negotiation and engagement with the Council. Formerly an engineering works and foundry, the project is a prime opportunity to revive a disused brownfield site and contribute to the broader regeneration of the Bedminster Green area. The scheme will deliver high-quality managed homes for students ranging from six to ten storeys in height across three buildings. The proposals will deliver broad benefits to the local community, including the creation of a new public space and improvements to the highway infrastructure. The new student population is expected to support local businesses, including those along nearby East Street in particular. Compared to the proposals of previous developers, Watkin Jones’ proposal promoted significant changes including reducing the number and height of buildings across the site and decreasing the number of rooms to better reflect the local character and in response to public engagement. With support from the University of Bristol, this scheme will help to meet the higher education needs of the city that continues to be a premier destination of choice for both UK and international students as numbers continue to rise. Importantly, it has been designed sustainably to support the Group’s ESG strategy. The scheme will be BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and WiredScore ‘Gold’ enabling the best connectivity for students, in addition to an EPC rating B. Watkin Jones is expected to partner with its award-winning management company Fresh to deliver well-maintained, 24-hour on-site services for students. As a leading and long-standing student accommodation developer, Fresh can ensure the site is well cared for and that the student population is well integrated with the existing community. The site offers excellent public transport links and includes storage for 130 bikes, three disabled car spaces that can accommodate EV charging, significant new tree planting, and green landscaping along Malago Road, seamlessly integrating with the council’s highway improvements and river restoration works. Ben Wrighton, Head of Planning at Watkin Jones commented: “We are very excited to announce planning approval for our second project in one of Bristol’s key regeneration areas and our third active project within the city. “Our commitment to providing high-quality, and well-managed purpose-built student accommodation will in part address the significant growing demand from the University of Bristol. We look forward to continuing our efforts to meet this growing need alongside the City Council and the local communities.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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