Tall & Urban News

ISG has been appointed as the main contractor for a £46.5 million (US$61 million) purpose-built student accommodation project in Sheffield.

The Fusion Students Sheffield scheme is ISG’s second high-value student accommodation scheme for Fusion Students in 2019, following its appointment to build a £39 million (US$51 million) tower in South Wales, Fusion Students Swansea.

In summer 2019, it completed the £40 million (US$53 million) Zenith student residences in Cardiff and a £26 million (US$34 million) mixed-use hotel and student rooms scheme in Hatfield.

The Sheffield development will involve the construction of four tower blocks on Fitzwilliam Street in the city center, ranging in height from six to 17 stories. They will have 864 student bedsits between them.

ISG has completed a ground engineering and site remediation program, and construction has now started on the concrete base-build structure.

It is expected to hand over the finished building in summer 2021, in time for that year’s student intake.

“Fusion Students is driving the transformation of the student accommodation market and setting the benchmark for aspirational living,” said ISG regional director Tim Harvey.

“The Sheffield scheme is our fourth project for Fusion since 2017, and represents its largest and most ambitious development to date,” he added.

The Swansea scheme includes a 60-meter high tower block.

The multi-level “cluster and studio campus” scheme in Swansea is for 780 students and includes a 17-story tower. At 60 meters, it will become the second-tallest building in Swansea. The tower itself will house 230 students, while a further 550 will be accommodated within the surrounding six- to eight-story brick-clad structures. The Swansea scheme also has 20,000 square feet (1,900 square meters) of retail space, alongside student amenities. This is also scheduled to be completed ahead of the 2021 academic year.

For more on this story, go to The Construction Index.