Viridis Living has reached a milestone in the delivery of new student accommodation at the University of Manchester鈥檚 Fallowfield Campus, with the Building Safety Regulator granting Gateway 2 approval for the first two higher-risk buildings (HRBs) on the development.
The consortium, comprising Equitix, John Graham 萝莉原创 and Derwent FM, has now submitted seven HRBs to the Building Safety Regulator, with approval now secured for two of these. The two approved buildings are both 14 storeys high, with one providing 205 beds and the other 207 beds.
With Gateway 2 approval in place, structural works on the two buildings will start this month, the consortium said. It expects to receive decisions from the Building Safety Regulator on the remaining five HRBs within the next two months.
From securing planning approval to achieving the first Building Safety Regulator approvals took 15 weeks 鈥� a quicker than usual turnaround.
Sheppard Robson partner Natalia Maximova said: 鈥淭he Gateway 2 approval for the first two high-risk residential blocks is a testament to successful teamwork and effective collaboration, which would not have been possible without early supply chain input and specialist expertise. The focus of the Gateway 2 review was technical compliance, requiring a high level of co-ordination and design quality throughout the proposal. Key design decisions, such as the adoption of a precast cross-wall system and the extended use of concrete, added inherent fire safety properties to the scheme and simplified facade co-ordination. This has been a learning process for all participants and required full commitment from everyone.鈥�
The overall Fallowfield Campus redevelopment will deliver up to 3,300 student bedrooms across the previous sites of Owens Park, Oak House and Woolton Hall. The project, designed by Sheppard Robson, will create five separate neighbourhoods.
The scheme is looking to become the largest certified Passivhaus project in Europe. It is also pursuing a BREEAM Excellent rating.
Graham project director Neil McFarlane said: 鈥淪ecuring Gateway 2 approval for the first two HRBs is a significant milestone for the Fallowfield Campus project and testament to the collaborative approach taken by the whole team. With structural works now able to commence on these two buildings, and further approvals expected in the coming months, we are making strong progress towards delivering safe, high-quality and sustainable student accommodation for Manchester.鈥�
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