Member Article

£15 million Newcastle student accommodation scheme generates 200 new jobs

Work has started on a new £15 million student accommodation scheme in Newcastle as the appetite for such developments continues to grow rapidly.

The 270-bedroom scheme on land at Coquet Street in the Ouseburn – the city’s emerging cultural quarter - is being backed by Hong Kong-based financiers Bricks Capital.

Sunderland-based Brims Construction started on site in the last few weeks. Known as the Glass Works the development is providing employment for over 200 people during the construction phase and will feature a building technique new to the North East.

Comprising of five separate blocks, around a private courtyard, three of these blocks are constructed from shipping container pods, which are built in China, and arrive on site completely fitted out as bedrooms and bathrooms.

The five blocks at the Glass Works will be either four of five storeys high, with the remaining two blocks to be constructed from timber frame.

The container pods are constructed by $15 billion Chinese company CIMC (China International Marine Containers). This is the first student project CIMC have done in the UK, though the technology has been used for hotels.

The development will feature a mixture of en-suite student rooms and self-contained studios. The rooms will be fully furnished to a high standard and provide students with access to high speed broadband and satellite television.

The development will incorporate communal kitchens and common rooms for every cluster and each studio room will be self-contained.

Students will have access to a chill-out/media rooms and lounges with two of the blocks housing the laundry, management and security offices.

Phase one, comprising of 151 rooms, will complete in August and phase two is due to complete by the end of the year.

The development will be managed by Oxford-based CRM and the on-site marketing suite will be available to view from next month (Feb).

Director at Rochdale-based élan Construction Management, Jason Taylor, is leading the project on behalf of Bricks Capital.

Jason said: “This is a fantastic site for the development within easy walking distance of both of the city’s main universities. The Ouseburn district is fast becoming the ‘Camden of Newcastle’.

“Developments such as the Glass Works are popular with students and parents, providing high-spec accommodation in a safe and secure environment.

“There is a real appetite in the investment community for student schemes such as these, which can guarantee healthy returns over a lengthy period.

“Brims Construction was the outstanding bidding contractor, with an impressive track-record, and we are delighted to have them on board.”

Director at Brims Construction, Richard Wood, said: “We have worked with Bricks Capital for some time now to finalise both the financial and delivery aspects of the scheme and are delighted to be involved in the project.

“We’ve carried out different types of ‘pre-fabricated’ builds before, but nothing to this kind of extent.

“It’s taken a great deal of coordination between our team and designers along with Bricks Capital, to get things this far and we’re looking forward to delivering what we think is the first modular build of this type in Newcastle.

“We hope it might become a bit of a niche market for us moving forward.”