£100m Coventry student residential scheme progressing well

£100m Coventry student residential scheme progressing well

Pivotal works on a new landmark student accommodation facility in Coventry are progressing well.

Led by McLaren Construction Midlands and North for a joint venture between McLaren Property and Topland Group, iQ Longwood Place will provide additional high-quality student accommodation and diverse community spaces situated within the Westwood Business Park, close to the Warwick University Campus.

Providing a total of 1078 bedrooms, 131 co-living rooms, common areas, and external social spaces, the site will also offer gym facilities, launderettes, and retail outlets, with the first phase due to be completed in summer 2025.

Ideally positioned to serve the university population, with excellent public transport links and leisure facilities, iQ Longwood Place has been designed to enhance the surrounding green space with high specification landscape finishes.

Works to date include the initial demolition of Avon House, Swift House, and the multi-storey car park to make way for the construction of the eight new student and one co-living residential buildings.

At present, the external façades to Blocks A, B, C, D, E and J are substantially complete, with the fit-out element running concurrently. The marketing suite was launched last November 24 to allow prospective students to view the campus experience first-hand.

The light gauge steel frame (LGSF) for blocks F, G and H is underway. Works are underway installing complex site infrastructure, and hard and soft landscaping, along with associated cycle and refuse stores.

The project is striving for a BREEAM Excellent rating by targeting sustainability and performance credits across the build. From crushing and reusing on-site the demolition rubble generated, to ensuring building regulations are met, and incorporating sustainability best practices into the project. All site waste is managed through the SmartWaste platform to minimise export to landfill.

In consultation with ecologists, arboriculturists, and local stakeholders, McLaren Construction are managing the interface between the impact of the construction works and protecting the diverse local natural habitat, with a project plan developed to preserve the existing trees and woodland.

With a complex sloping site, McLaren Construction have worked to overcome challenges encountered during both the demolition and construction phases. In proximity to nearby watercourses and ancient woodland, the project team conducted a complex cut-and-fill exercise to remodel the site profile and enable retaining structures to be built to split the site level to its designed topography. Tree protection zones were erected, and silt fencing was installed along the local watercourses to alleviate any potential contamination.

To add value to the local communities we operate in and working closely with Coventry City Council and our supply chain, McLaren Construction has developed opportunities for on-site work placements. Alongside this, the project team meet regularly with local businesses and members of the community to keep them up to date on the scheme.

Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction Midlands and North, said: “We are pleased with how the iQ Longwood Place scheme is progressing since starting onsite in autumn 2023, and we are in a good position to finish to schedule.

“The opening of the Marketing Suite marked a new milestone in the build that allows the project team to provide more detailed information and updates for those interested in viewing the new student facilities. Once complete, the scheme will provide high-quality accommodation to the student population of Warwick University, breathing new life into buildings which had previously been dated office complexes and a multi-storey car park. The landscaped features of the site and adjacent woodland are beneficial to the end user, and these are unique in that they differ from what many inner-city schemes offer.

William Davies, Director of Asset Management, Topland Group, said, “This has been a well-conceived development, with the whole project team working collectively to deliver the phased completion of the scheme. McLaren Construction is doing a great job across a large and complex site, making great progress and, critically, all on programme.”

Bruce Ruddle, Divisional Managing Director, McLaren Property, added: “We are exceptionally pleased with progress to date and the collaborative approach between all stakeholders in delivering this site. McLaren Construction is making great strides and is on track for the delivery of phase one in 2025. Working with

Topland Group, iQ and McLaren Construction on this exemplary campus facility has been a rewarding experience, and we look forward to seeing the completed scheme.”

McLaren Construction is delivering iQ Longwood Place on behalf of Topland Group and McLaren Property, the leading residential and student accommodation developer.