THE TIMBER frame at Nottingham’s newest student accommodation, The Nest, is now taking shape onsite, with the view to create 57 new flats by the end of the year.
The £5 million scheme, located at Derby Road, will feature 57 luxury, purpose-built student studios and a ground floor commercial space.
Wayne Oakes, director at Dice – the multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy, which has been working on the project since its inception last year and delivered civil and structural design services – said: “The Nest is a bespoke, student accommodation which has been designed with international students in mind – incorporating the latest in studio design, great communal facilities and all in an amazing location, close to the city centre.”
The build process has been managed by an experienced team and public’s reaction to the build has been very positive. A dilapidated building has been demolished and replaced with a contemporary structure. Dice has been an integral part of the team overcoming structural issues.
Wayne continued: “One of the key design challenges associated with this development related to the client’s wish for the building to incorporate both a masonry and timber frame superstructure which, for a five-storey building, presented numerous design complications associated with disproportionate collapse.
“In addition to this the project delivery team also faced interesting challenges during the early stages of the project due to experiencing poor ground conditions, which impacted upon the piled foundation solution and the contiguous piled retaining structure which was installed to support the public highway of Wollaton Street at the rear of the site.
“We’ve worked closely with the developers and architects to create a building which has minimal impact on the environment and which complements the existing buildings in the vicinity – overcoming these challenges and delivering an impressive new structure on Derby Road.
“There are a lot of Nottingham teams involved in the construction of The Nest – from us on the engineering side and BEC on the mechanical and electrical engineering side, to the contractors, J A Ball, delivering the work itself – which is, of course, fantastic for the local economy and the city’s construction industry.
“There really is a hive of activity going on along Derby Road and across Canning Circus, with new sites progressing everyday – promoting the city’s commercial and residential offering. We’re confident that The Nest will be another welcome addition to the development of this area of the city.”
Kane Tang, project owner and director at the site’s developers, Tang Developments Ltd, said: “I am so pleased I chose Dice to work on this project. The team have supported the project, overcome the site’s challenges and worked within the team to get us to the point we are now.
“With two universities in the city – which are only continuing to grow – there will always be a need for purpose-built, student accommodation in Nottingham and we are actively looking for new sites to develop to meet demand.
“The international student market continues to grow, with five million students currently studying outside their home country, a number which is set to grow to eight million by 2025. The Nest is particularly being marketed at international students as everything they need will be under one roof. It will be finished to an incredibly high standard and will provide students – and their parents – with complete confidence that they will be moving into accommodation that is of a good quality.
“Derby Road has a unique, independent feel and we wanted to make sure that this was reflected in The Nest’s design. The Nest will be a modern, aesthetically-pleasing addition to Derby Road, promoting modern living in the heart of the city. The first cohort of students are expected to move in, in January 2020 and will provide an economic boost to Derby Road’s eclectic offering.”
The development planning was managed by GraceMachin and the building was designed by Nottingham-based architects Cleveley King. MPP project managed the scheme.
