737-bed Purpose-Built Student Accommodation
Upper Brook Street is a major purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development for Legal & General, located at 53-57 Upper Brook Street, Manchester. Delivered as part of the wider Upper Brook Street masterplan, the £91m scheme will provide high-quality student living in a prominent city-centre location.
The development comprises two parallel blocks, West (Ground + 22 storeys) and East (Ground + 8 storeys), connected at ground level to form shared internal and external communal podium spaces. The scheme reaches a maximum height of 65.6 metres, placing it within the scope of High-Rise Gateway Building compliance.
In total, the project will deliver 737 student bedrooms alongside extensive amenity provision, including a gym, private dining rooms, gaming spaces, podcast studio, study and meeting areas, indoor cycle storage, plus a café and community space. The total gross internal area is 25,349 m², with 24,976 m² dedicated to student accommodation.
Sustainability and Digital Connectivity
The scheme is targeting BREEAM Excellent and EPC A ratings, alongside WiredScore Platinum certification to support high-quality digital connectivity. Embodied carbon targets have been set at 692 kgCO₂e/m² (GIA) upfront and 1,116 kgCO₂e/m² (GIA) whole-life, aligning with long-term sustainability objectives.
Our Role
We undertook a comprehensive due diligence review of over 5,000 project documents and drawings, identifying technical, programme and compliance risks to support an informed funding decision. With construction now underway, we are acting as Fund Monitor, providing ongoing oversight, compliance monitoring and risk management throughout the construction programme.
Our specialist experience in high-rise PBSA developments supports Gateway compliance, alignment with funder standards and effective coordination across complex stakeholder groups.
Client: Legal & General
Contractor: McLaren Construction Limited
Contract Value: £91m
Completion: March 2028
To find out more about Upper Brook Street contact us – https://potterraper.co.uk/contact/
