Civic Engineers are appointed as civil, structural and transport engineers, on this £50M student and residential scheme on a key gateway site in Nottingham City Centre. The development will comprise 420 purpose-built student flats and 177 private rented sector apartments, with the apartments being made up of one and two bed units and studio apartments.

The development forms part of a masterplan to redevelop the southern part of the city, known as the Southern Gateway and plays a pivotal role in the ongoing regeneration of the area. The development site is in a strategic location, acting as a gateway to the city and the impressive scheme will set a new standard for Nottingham, with exceptional design and landscaped public realm areas.

The accommodation is provided over two buildings between four and eight stories tall. The two buildings will border around the edge of the site, with a public walkway in between them and a large landscaped courtyard in the middle, and further public space to the west.

The scheme, near the Vat and Fiddle pub, is bordered by Crocus Street, to the east by Arkwright Street, to the south by Meadows Way (which accommodates the city tramway). and to the west by Sheriffs Way/Waterway Street West.

We provided civil, structural, flood risk and transport advice and reporting to support a full planning application for the development. We explored economic materials and structural form, which actively contribute to the environmental performance of the building and prepared a preliminary structural scheme for the development comprising an insitu reinforced concrete frame with flat slabs and lightweight metal structural framing to the upper-most levels to form the double-height mansard features. Curved masonry cantilever corners over the primary entrances to the buildings form a striking feature and a particular structural challenge.

We also prepared a Travel Plan to accompany the planning application, which detailed the strategy for managing the travel generated by the development, aimed at reducing reliance on the private motor vehicle and promoting more sustainable modes of travel.

Planning for this scheme was approved in January 2019.