Manchester Innovation District Set for 1,000-Bed Student Accommodation Landmark
Plans have been submitted for a major new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development in Manchester that would deliver more than 1,000 student beds and create a striking new gateway to one of the UK’s most ambitious innovation districts. RG Real Estate has lodged proposals to redevelop the existing Charles Street Car Park site with a large-scale student living scheme featuring a landmark 38-storey tower. The project forms part of the wider regeneration of the former UMIST campus, which is being transformed into the £1.7bn Sister innovation district by Bruntwood SciTech and The University of Manchester. The proposed development would provide 1,041 student bedrooms across a combination of studios and cluster apartments, helping to meet growing demand for high-quality student accommodation in the city. Designed by Hodder + Partners, the scheme would comprise buildings of eight, 10 and 38 storeys located on the corner of Charles Street and Sackville Street, adjacent to the railway viaduct within what is known as Plot H of the Sister masterplan. The plans follow an extensive public consultation process undertaken last year and have been shaped by a multidisciplinary project team that includes Buro Happold, Deloitte, Layer Studio, Roscoe, Tyler Grange and Civic Heritage, among others. In addition to delivering modern student accommodation, the proposals include more than an acre of new public realm, improved pedestrian connections and active ground-floor uses designed to enhance the surrounding neighbourhood and support the wider regeneration vision. RG Real Estate Development Director Darren Simmons said the scheme would transform an underutilised site into a vibrant new destination, while helping to reactivate Altrincham Street and strengthen connections across the evolving innovation district. The development is strategically positioned close to major transport links and within easy reach of Manchester’s universities, making it well suited to support the city’s growing student population. The proposals also sit alongside a number of other significant residential developments planned for the area, underlining Manchester’s continued emergence as one of the UK’s most active student accommodation and urban regeneration markets. If approved, the scheme will become another major addition to the city’s expanding skyline and a key component of the wider transformation of the former UMIST campus into a world-class hub for science, technology and innovation. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Firethorn breaks ground at 80-acre Bardon logistics site
Work is now underway at Bardon III, J20/M1, Leicestershire, where UK real estate investor and developer, Firethorn plan to deliver 947,650 sq ft of Grade-A industrial and logistics space. Having been appointed as the enabling works contractor, BlueEarth Construction has now commenced on-site access and infrastructure works, preparing the site which will be brought forward on a speculative and build-to-suit basis. Firethorn expects to invest £125 million into the 80.2-acre site, which benefits from detailed planning consent for two units with B2 and B8 use. The recent ‘breaking ground’ ceremony was attended by key local members who played influential roles in seeing the project realised, including the Leader of Leicestershire County Council Dan Harrison alongside Rebecca Henson, Head of the Growth Service at Leicestershire County Council, and Chris Brown, Assistant Director of Planning & Regeneration for Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, reflective of the significance of the development to the local economy. Located within the Midlands’ “Golden Triangle”, the site sits at the heart of the UK’s logistics network, providing direct access to the strategic national highway network at Junction 22 of the M1. The new development will follow previous phases delivered by Mountpark, which are now occupied by established distribution and manufacturing businesses, including Amazon, DHL, Eddie Stobart, VF, Vistry, and Pharmacy2U. James Sanders, Head of Industrial and Logistics at Firethorn, said: “Bardon is one of the UK’s most established and sought-after logistics locations, with a strong supply of local labour and direct connectivity to the strategic network making it ideally placed for leading occupiers operating national and international supply chains. “Breaking ground marks a significant step in the development process and a chance to provide recognition to those who played a role in the project coming forward. We’re delighted to mark the occasion and to be working with the BlueEarth team to deliver the first stage of what promises to be a modern, sustainable and high-quality product that will not only respond to a shortage in supply, but deliver lasting economic benefit to the region.” Councillor Dan Harrison, leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: “We’re working hard to build the Leicestershire of the future, with prosperity, jobs and economic growth at the heart. “This £125m investment is significant, offering opportunities for big companies to set up shop, as well as a 37-acre country park and over 2km of walking routes. “Bardon is a top UK location for logistics. We really are leading the way in Leicestershire and we’re shouting from the rooftops that we’re open for business.” Kirk Farrow, Construction Director at BlueEarth Construction Ltd, said: “The entire team at BlueEarth has worked incredibly hard and is absolutely delighted to be progressing this development with Firethorn, following our completion of the preliminary enabling phase with Mountpark. “The site has presented a number of significant challenges, particularly the major overhead cable diversion works required to underground and reroute services around the development. In addition, the design of the large screening bund has been a very complex and demanding aspect of the project. “We at BlueEarth Construction Ltd are extremely proud to be working in partnership with Firethorn to help bring this development forward.” The new development targets practical completion in late 2027 and will deliver a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating with net-zero carbon in construction. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Villa Park’s £100m North Stand Transformation Moves into Construction Phase
Work has officially begun on Aston Villa Football Club’s landmark £100m redevelopment of the historic North Stand at Villa Park, marking the start of one of the most significant stadium improvement projects currently underway in UK football. Kingscote Construction has broken ground on the scheme, which will transform the stand and substantially increase capacity from 6,537 seats to 12,516 seats, helping the club accommodate growing demand from supporters while enhancing the overall matchday experience. The project is scheduled for completion in time for the start of the 2027/28 football season, when the new stand is expected to be fully operational. The redevelopment will deliver far more than additional seating. Plans include extensive upgrades to the club’s football infrastructure, with around 500 sq m of new first-team facilities being created. These will include modern changing rooms, enhanced medical and physiotherapy areas, and improvements to player-focused competition spaces designed to support elite-level performance. Supporters will also benefit from a range of improvements, including upgraded hospitality facilities, enhanced concourse areas and a more vibrant matchday atmosphere within the expanded stadium. The project is being delivered by Kingscote Construction alongside a number of specialist companies from across the wider Morrisroe Group. Morrisroe Demolition, GSS Piling, Morrisroe Limited, Houston Cox, Piper Joinery, Kingscote Plant, Kingscote Design and Kingscote Haulage will all contribute to the development programme. Two key external partners have also been appointed, with J&D Pierce Contracts responsible for the structural steelwork package and King & Moffatt delivering the mechanical and electrical installations. The investment reflects Aston Villa’s continued ambitions both on and off the pitch, following a period of significant growth and success for the club. Andy Beckett, Managing Director of Kingscote Construction, said the teamwork and collaboration required to deliver a project of this scale mirrored the collective approach that drives success in professional sport. He added that breaking ground represented an important milestone for Aston Villa, its supporters and the project team, as work begins on a stand designed to help secure the long-term future of one of English football’s most historic stadiums. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
OP reimagines CBRE’s workspace at 3 Chamberlain Square, Birmingham
Leading office interior design consultancy, OP, has completed the fit out of CBRE’s new Birmingham office at 3 Chamberlain Square, Paradise Birmingham. The project spans 16,549 sq ft within one of the city’s most architecturally striking new buildings. When CBRE made the decision to relocate from their previous home at Temple Row, OP supported them through the entire journey – from the initial location review through to design and delivery. The resulting space draws heavily on the architecture of the building itself, with its distinctive red terracotta façade, fluted cladding and signature OGEE arches all reinterpreted within the interior. Terracotta tones, arched forms and tactile finishes create a clear visual connection between outside and in, giving the office a strong sense of place that feels authentically connected to the city. The design takes CBRE’s workplace philosophy and roots it firmly in Birmingham, creating something grounded and entirely specific to the city and the building. The workplace includes nine meeting rooms, three two-person focus rooms, eight call pods and a dedicated Clientology client engagement space with carefully considered sightlines across Chamberlain Square. Wellbeing is embedded throughout, with a dedicated Parents’ Room and a separate wellness room. Sustainability is central to the design story. Standout features include sculptural trees 3D printed from HS2 clay, the Altrock reception desk formed from reclaimed waste marble, a bespoke terrazzo worktop handcrafted from reclaimed Birmingham materials, and cork flooring. Recycled leather and Impact Cotton acoustic panels alongside cradle-to-cradle certified carpet tiles complete a rigorous material palette. The vast majority of CBRE’s existing furniture was also retained, refurbished and reintroduced – significantly reducing the embodied carbon of the fit out. Bespoke signage throughout tells the story of each element, giving staff and visitors a tangible connection to the thinking behind the space. The building holds BREEAM Excellent and WELL certifications and is the first in Birmingham to achieve a NABERS UK 5 Star Design Reviewed Target Rating. “Our vision was to create a workspace that feels genuinely of Birmingham – drawing on the architecture of the building, the character of the city, and the culture of the people within it. We’re incredibly proud of what this project has become.” Claire Stant, Creative Designer at OP “The new office has truly exceeded our expectations. OP have created a space that feels like a genuine reflection of both Birmingham and our business – full of thoughtful details that our team have really connected with. The feedback from staff and visitors alike has been overwhelmingly positive and we couldn’t be prouder of the result.” Will Ventham, Head of Midlands at CBRE Birmingham Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Top 20% EPC rating awarded to historic building where science of greenhouse gases was established in 1861
Royal Institution Grade I listed home set to surpass sustainability targets The Royal Institution (Ri) is on track to achieve a remarkable 42% reduction in carbon emissions at its Grade I listed Georgian building – surpassing its original target of 35% – thanks to a £4.35 million grant from the Mayor of London. A centre for scientific discovery for over 225 years, with sections dating from 1705, the Royal Institution’s home on Albemarle Street has undergone transformative works to move from a commercial building EPC D rating, to a B rating, placing the iconic building in the top 20% of non-domestic properties awarded ratings in the UK since 2009. The works mean that the Ri already meets the target efficiency rating expected to be applied to all commercial buildings from 2030, four years ahead of schedule, and demonstrates that London’s historic buildings can become sustainability leaders without compromising architectural heritage. They also secure the environmental future of one of the UK’s most-loved places of science and create a fitting backdrop for Undaunted, a partnership between the Ri and Imperial College London that powers exciting early-stage climate innovation across London and the UK. As part of ‘Project FootpRint’, the Royal Institution has: All of the above was achieved with only strictly necessary closures to public visitors to the Ri’s free science museum, and while maintaining the majority of the Ri’s science engagement activities (including its 200th CHRISTMAS LECTURES® series) and protecting live research programmes using highly sensitive machines that could be affected by dust from building works. It was in the basement laboratories of the Ri between 1859 and 1861 that John Tyndall proved that gases like water vapour and carbon dioxide absorb and radiate infrared heat. His experiments showed that these gases trap heat in the atmosphere, suggesting that changes in their concentration could alter Earth’s climate. This is now more commonly known as the Greenhouse Effect. The Royal Institution’s archive holds an ‘internationally significant’ collection of scientific items all uniquely linked to the work of scientists at the Ri over the past 227 years. This includes the archive of Tyndall’s work encompassing his notebooks covering 1859-62 and containing all the write-ups for his experiments on greenhouses gases, the notes for the CHRISTMAS LECTURES® he delivered on the topic, and first editions of his book Contributions to Molecular Physics in the Domain of Radiant Heat (1862). On public display in the Ri’s free museum is the rudimentary apparatus that Tyndall developed to establish that certain gases absorb more heat in the atmosphere than others. Other pioneering scientists who have lived, worked and/or achieved major scientific breakthroughs in the Albemarle Street building include Michael Faraday, Humphry Davy, Kathleen Lonsdale, James Dewar, William and Lawrence Bragg and Sir George Porter. The building’s multi-use history – as residences, workplaces and a meeting place for the public and scientists – was apparent in the works, which were complicated by the various ways the building had been reconfigured over several centuries. The Ri’s transformation – ‘Project FootpRint’ – was made possible thanks to £4.35m funding from the Mayor of London, with Coniston Limited, a heritage conservation specialist, as the principal contractor. The results help secure the future of the Ri as a place where the public and scientists can explore science together and the base from which the Ri’s charitable activities inspire curiosity in people of all ages throughout the UK and internationally. They also ensure the Ri remains a fitting backdrop for Undaunted, which enables talented climate innovators to turn their ideas into impact, and which has received support from the Mayor of London on a number of its programmes and activities. The startups that have progressed through Undaunted’s accelerator programmes have gone on to secure over $1.3bn investment and create over 1,600 jobs in 30 countries Katherine Mathieson, Director of the Royal Institution, said: “While the science of the greenhouse effect may have been established at the Ri, today we faced the same challenges as the UK’s many other iconic heritage spaces, in adapting our 300-year-old building to meet our climate responsibilities. “We are extremely grateful for the Mayor of London’s visionary support, which has demonstrated that the UK’s hard-to-tackle older buildings can achieve dramatic carbon reductions while preserving centuries of history. We would be delighted to share our learnings – including the challenges – from our project with custodians of other such cherished assets who are looking to start a similar journey..” The Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban said: “The Mayor is proud to have invested in the transformation of the Royal Institution, one of London’s most prestigious heritage buildings and the home of climate science. “This incredible transformation shows how every organisation can play their part in tackling the climate crisis, regardless of the age or status of commercial buildings, and acts as an inspiration to other historic organisations across the city. It shows how by working together we are building a city for the future and a fairer, greener London for everyone.” Scott Evans, Project Manager, Coniston, said: “When you’re working within a Grade I listed building that’s evolved over two centuries, every time you open up a floor or start tracing pipework you uncover another part of its story. You’re constantly learning how the building has changed over time. “What made it genuinely fascinating was doing all of that while the building stayed operational as far as possible. Every crane lift, every roof installation, every system changeover was planned around the day to day life of the building. “Beyond the technical achievement, there’s a real sense of history here. Seeing a Grade I listed building lead the way as an example for decarbonisation at this scale, feels like a full circle moment. It’s the kind of project you’re proud to be part of.” Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Undaunted, Director of Innovation at Imperial’s Grantham Institute, and Co-Director, Imperial School of Convergence Science: Sustainability, said: “Project FootpRint is a great example of the kind of pilot scheme that
Giving Buildings a Voice: The Future of Intelligent Facilities Management
The facilities management sector is entering a new era, where data, technology and predictive insights are transforming how buildings are maintained, operated and optimised. For decades, the Building Engineering Services Association’s SFG20 standard has provided the industry with a trusted framework for building maintenance. Since its introduction in 1990, the standard has helped facilities managers establish consistency across maintenance programmes, procurement processes and engineering operations. Today, SFG20 continues to underpin best practice, offering thousands of maintenance schedules covering a vast range of building assets. However, modern buildings are significantly different from those of previous generations. Advances in digital technology, smart systems and connected infrastructure mean that many assets now generate detailed operational data, providing real-time insights into performance, efficiency and condition. According to Andre Bothma, Managing Director – Strategic Asset Management & Energy at Bellrock, the industry now has an opportunity to move beyond traditional one-size-fits-all maintenance strategies and embrace a more intelligent, responsive approach. Rather than relying solely on fixed maintenance schedules, predictive facilities management platforms can analyse asset performance continuously, helping engineering teams identify issues before they escalate into costly failures. By combining operational data, environmental factors and usage patterns, facilities managers can make more informed decisions and deploy resources where they deliver the greatest value. This evolution is not about replacing established maintenance standards. Instead, it is about enhancing them through technology, creating dynamic maintenance strategies that adapt to the specific requirements of individual buildings and assets. A manufacturing facility operating in a demanding industrial environment, for example, may require a very different maintenance approach from a modern office building, despite containing similar equipment. The benefits are substantial. Intelligent maintenance programmes can reduce unnecessary callouts, improve workforce efficiency, lower operational costs and enhance energy performance. Bellrock reports that clients adopting predictive maintenance approaches have achieved energy savings of around 20%, while improving long-term asset performance and lifecycle planning. As buildings become increasingly connected and data-rich, facilities management is evolving from reactive maintenance towards proactive asset optimisation. By combining proven standards with intelligent technology, the industry is creating smarter, more sustainable buildings capable of delivering greater efficiency, improved performance and long-term value for owners and occupiers alike. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals