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UK: Viridis Living has secured Gateway 2 approval for two buildings at the University of Manchester’s Fallowfield Campus development.
Viridis Living is a consortium, made up of investor and fund manager Equitix, contractor GRAHAM and facilities manager Derwent FM. It has submitted seven high-risk building applications (HRBs) to the Building Safety Regulator, with approvals secured for two buildings of 14 storeys, providing more than 400 student beds.
With Gateway 2 approval in place, structural works on the two buildings will start this month. The consortium expects to receive decisions from the Building Safety Regulator on the remaining five HRBs within the next two months.
Neil McFarlane, GRAHAM project director for the Fallowfield Campus, said: “Securing 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.”
Ben Leech, managing director, investments, at Equitix, added: “We’re delighted that the Fallowfield Campus student accommodation project has reached this important stage. This is a key step forward for the University of Manchester in delivering modern, high quality living spaces that ensure a safe, comfortable, and sustainable student experience for years to come. Equitix is proud to work closely with the university and our partners at GRAHAM throughout planning and construction to bring this vision to life.”
Natalia Maximova, partner at architects Sheppard Robson, said: “The 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. Well done to the project team.”
Highlights:
• Viridis Living has secured Gateway 2 approval for two buildings at the University of Manchester’s Fallowfield Campus development
• Viridis Living is a consortium, made up of investor and fund manager Equitix, contractor GRAHAM and facilities manager Derwent FM
• It has submitted seven high-risk building applications (HRBs) to the Building Safety Regulator, with approvals secured for two buildings of 14 storeys, providing more than 400 student beds
• With Gateway 2 approval in place, structural works on the two buildings will start this month. The consortium expects to receive decisions from the Building Safety Regulator on the remaining five HRBs within the next two months
