Student Accommodation Design, PRS & Co-Living Fit-Out – Square Gardens Manchester
Square Gardens is one of the UK’s largest mixed-use bedroom schemes, bringing together nearly 2,000 beds across PRS, student accommodation, co-living and penthouses in the heart of Manchester. Downing Student needed a partner who could deliver a very large volume of bathroom pods and fully fitted bedrooms, each tailored to different resident profiles and specification levels, while keeping a tight grip on design coordination and version control. With around 120 room types across three interconnected blocks, restricted city-centre logistics, limited laydown, timed deliveries and multiple contractors sharing the site, the risk of clashes, rework and programme drift was high. The client also required ongoing flexibility to refine and upgrade specifications as the scheme evolved, demanding a manufacturing and installation partner capable of handling significant late-stage design changes without compromising quality or timelines.
Complex, mixed-use specifications
City-centre logistics & access
High-volume change control
Scalable, Bespoke FF&E and Bathroom Pod Delivery for a Complex Urban Scheme
Brookhouse provided a fully integrated design, manufacture and installation solution for 449 bathroom pods and 1,786 bedrooms across PRS, student, co-living and penthouse accommodation at Square Gardens. Our team coordinated around 120 room types across three blocks, using precise site surveys and tight version control to ensure every pod and furniture set aligned with real-world structures, services and tolerances. We managed multiple specification levels in parallel, maintaining consistently high QA standards across a large unit volume while absorbing over £2m of client-led design variations after completion with no impact on programme. Through rapid re-issues of drawings, mock-ups and prototypes, and a highly collaborative approach with the client, architect, QS and main contractor, we kept the project moving at pace despite tight city-centre logistics, constrained laydown space and multiple contractors on site.
Early Design & Specification Support
Detailed Surveys & Coordination
Prototyping & Value Engineering
Off-Site Manufacture & QA
City-Centre Logistics & Installation
Change Management & Late-Stage Variations
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