Salford building firm lands £3.2m University of Manchester brief

A construction firm based in Salford has landed contracts worth £3.2m to overhaul two buildings operated by the University of Manchester.

Manchester & Cheshire Construction has been tasked with carrying out an advanced works package at the Oxford Road union building and upgrading Houldsworth Hall, which forms part of the Hulme Hall campus in Victoria Park, Rusholme.

Built in 1907, Houldsworth Hall is the oldest of the seven blocks at Hulme Hall. The building is being revamped in phases over the next two summers.

The £2.3m project will see Manchester & Cheshire refurbish the bedrooms, corridors, toilets and bathrooms, in addition to giving the building’s music room a makeover and installing new kitchens.

Houldsworth Hall will also be kitted out with new Wi-Fi and IT infrastructure and revamped with electrical, mechanical and plumbing works.

Elsewhere, Manchester & Cheshire has taken on a 25-week, £900k advanced works contract at the university’s student union building. The project will involve replacing the three-storey site’s external windows and roof, and carrying out associated electrical and mechanical works.

The building is also set to be extended and refurbished at a later date.

Dave Lowe, the MD of Manchester & Cheshire, which has a place on the University’s construction works framework until 2020, said: “We’re delighted to secure these projects. Having worked previously with the University of Manchester, these contracts show they have the confidence in us to deliver.

“They build on our successful track record in the field of higher education and further strengthen our presence in this sector.”

Architects Wilson Mason, structural engineers WYG, quantity surveyors SDA Consulting and Gleeds, and mechanical and electrical engineers DSSR and RPS are working with Manchester & Cheshire on the two schemes.