Engineering specialist, SES Engineering Services (SES), has been appointed to the design and build of 491 student bedrooms for Manchester Metropolitan University on the latest phase of works at its multimillion-pound Birley Fields campus, which was opened in 2014.
Working on behalf of main contractor, Kier, SES, which operates a Manchester office, said the appointment adds to its reputation as an innovative MEP (mechanical, electrical plumbing) services provider in the student accommodation sector.
This latest phase of work on the campus is located on Bonsall Street and will be constructed over three accommodation blocks standing at five-, 10- and 15-storeys tall and all linked at ground floor level where there will be communal areas consisting of work/teaching spaces, gym, reception and administration areas, as well as the associated MEP plant required to service the buildings.
With a raft of successful student accommodation schemes already to its credit, having installed services to eight thousand student-bed in the past six years, SES says it is fully versed in the MEP requirements of projects of this scale.
Using its well-established offsite methods of construction, SES will prefabricate all pipework at SES PRISM, its bespoke in-house manufacturing facility.
It says this will not only guarantee the quality of the building services, it will also speed up installation once the contractor is on site and will significantly reduce the number of deliveries to the location, particularly when compared with traditional installation. A further advantage will be the reduction of waste.
Steve Joyce, SES’s business director, said: “We are delighted to be working with Kier on such a key accommodation scheme for Manchester Metropolitan University at Birley Fields. We have delivered a good many student accommodation schemes across the country and, therefore, have extensive experience to our credit.
“This latest scheme lends itself perfectly to offsite construction and, therefore, we will be maximising our inhouse capabilities which will not only aid the project’s delivery, it will also ensure that we play our part in supporting the university in meeting its sustainability targets for the campus.”
Kier’s contracts manager, Michael McCartan, said: “It’s a great pleasure to work on such a large-scale project for Manchester Metropolitan University. The project is progressing with the frame of the building nearing completion.
“SES’s expertise and innovation in the offsite manufacture of building services, combined with its extensive experience in the student accommodation sector, has synergy with our own, making it an ideal addition to our team as we continue to build on our strong working relationship with the university and the local supply chain.”
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