Manchester is well-known for its large student population thanks to the array of highly ranked educational institutions attracting students from around the globe. Due to this high demand, there is also an ever-growing need for high quality student accommodation. The latest project set to assist with this is a £286 million redevelopment that will create over 2,300 new student bedrooms for Manchester Metropolitan University in collaboration with Unite Students.
The redevelopment of the existing Cambridge Halls student accommodation will see the demolition of the existing structure built in the 1990s to make room for two buildings, rising up to 30-storeys. The overall development will be overseen by GRAHAM, who specialise in building, civil engineering, interior fit-out, and facilities management and investment.
The project is set to be delivered in two phases and will deliver residential as well as commercial space, rooftop space, and basement levels upon its completion. It has been confirmed that 5% of the total spaces will be designated as accessible rooms.
Designed by architectural firm Cartwright Pickard, the buildings will provide both apartment and studio spaces alongside amenity areas for residents. The design will also incorporate ‘highly efficient thermal fabric with a wide suite of low-carbon and energy-efficient technologies.’ The reduced operational energy use and reduced carbon emissions means that the building will achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating, which is an important future-facing consideration for the structure.
Such an intricate project means great things not just for architecture jobs in Manchester, but is also indicative of positive things for property jobs in Manchester too once the structure has been completed. Construction is set to begin later this year, with a goal of completing phase one by 2029 and then completing phase two in the following year.
Regional Director at GRAHAM, Stephen Van den Hoek, states that ‘Cambridge Halls is a significant and complex regional project that will transform this part of the campus. We are proud to have been appointed to work with Manchester Metropolitan University and Unite Students to deliver high-quality, sustainable accommodation that supports student wellbeing and long-term performance.’
He also went on to highlight that ‘our team is looking forward to working collaboratively with all partners as the scheme moves forward.’
Student accommodation is an integral component of Manchester’s overall property portfolio, and seeing the continuation of high-quality buildings to assist with demand is a positive thing. It will be interesting to see if there are future redevelopments of existing accommodation to evolve them in future-facing buildings, and if these structures will be of the same scale, adapting and shaping Manchester’s skyline.
