New Wakefield Street, Manchester

Miller Knight have been appointed to carry out the passive fire protection works at the New Wakefield Street scheme in Manchester.

Bowmer & Kirkland started on site in January 2018 for the demolition phase of the project – clearing an existing warehouse and nightclub. The contract is to design and construct a 603-bed student accommodation scheme, including inside communal spaces, study areas and full domestic facilities. The scheme provides 17,181m2 of accommodation spread over 33 floors, with a mix of studios and cluster accommodation.

The construction will be made up of a reinforced concrete frame with in-situ concrete floors. Externally the building has a number of finishes including glazing and anodised cladding panels all fixed within a unitised curtain wall system.

All levels of the building will have mechanical background ventilation running 24/7 providing minimum building regulation vent rates, with opening windows as part of the purge ventilation strategy to prevent overheating. The build incorporates a ground floor shell and core retail space and first floor communal space for students. The new building has energy efficient lighting and heating and is targeting a BREEAM “Excellent” rating.