McLaren Construction Midlands and North Appointed to Deliver Student Development in Manchester

McLaren Construction Midlands and North has been appointed by McLaren Property main contractor for the landmark Upper Brook Street student accommodation development in Manchester, England.

Early works have been progressing at pace, with both tower cranes now fully installed onsite. Ground clearance and preparation works are complete, alongside the installation of temporary site facilities.

Piling has also concluded with 219 piles installed and concrete bases formed to support the two new residential buildings and cranes. The team aimed to have slip-form rigs assembled before the Christmas period, enabling the concrete frame to commence early this year.

The £160m Upper Brook Street development will be forward funded by L&G, with the partnership delivering the purpose-built student accommodation scheme, comprising approximately 272,854 square feet across two buildings of nine-story and 23-stories, totaling 737 student bedspaces (288 studios and 449 cluster bedrooms), along with a range of shared amenities including a gym, fitness studio and collaborative study and social spaces.

Upper Brook Street is southeast of Manchester city center, near the Russell Group’s University of Manchester and is part of the Oxford Road Corridor. It is widely acknowledged as a growing hub for students and research.

The new student accommodation building will include a community facility, café and new accessible public realm with new trees, and a commitment to achieve high levels of sustainability to include BREEAM excellent, EPC A and Platinum Wired Score ratings.

Extensive hard and soft landscaping will create new public realm for residents and the surrounding community.

Modern methods of construction will play a central role in the build; the project incorporates a full concrete frame with fully unitized prefabricated concrete panels, complete with integrated brickwork and windows to drive efficiency and quality. Bathroom pods manufactured off-site will further streamline delivery.

The completion is set in time for the 2028 academic year. Alongside its technical and environmental ambitions, the project places strong emphasis on social value; the project team is partnering with local community groups and the Salvation Army to deliver initiatives that exceed contractual social value commitments.