GRAHAM celebrates LIV Student York Street complex ‘topping out’

Representatives from the privately-owned contractor gathered with senior management from developers, Valeo Group, to celebrate the installation of the highest fixing of the project, which will be one of the largest student accommodation developments in Belfast.

Scheduled for completion in September 2021, LIV Student Belfast is set to offer a unique and refreshing approach to student living, and will support the new Ulster University campus in the city centre.

Ranging from 12 to 14 storeys, the complex will provide 576 en-suite bedrooms; shared communal areas and kitchens; 141 studios; retail units; a ground floor carpark; and landscaped courtyard areas.

Groundworks for the £35.9m scheme began in July 2019, and Jonathan Hall, GRAHAM Regional Managing Director, is delighted with the smooth progress to date.

He said: “It is a tremendous achievement for our team, in partnership with Valeo, to have reached the topping out milestone.

“The quality of the build to this point has been exceptional, and I am confident the prospective students who will come to live and study within the high-end complex will be impressed by the exemplar design, and the innovative incorporation of internal and external communal space.

“We are proud to be working alongside Valeo to realise its vision of developing these contemporary residences that will enhance the well-being of students, and help to transform their learning experience.”

Commenting on the LIV Student complex’s latest landmark, John Kenny, Chief Executive, Valeo Management Europe (owners and operators of LIV Student) said the complex was ‘the next generation of student accommodation’.

He continued: “We’re thrilled to support Ulster University’s exciting new campus and address the city’s need for high quality homes for a new generation of Ulster’s students.

“LIV Student Belfast is the next generation of student accommodation, purpose-built with great amenities and designed to improve their overall student experience. I’m delighted with the progress of LIV Student Belfast the topping out ceremony is a significant landmark in the construction of this exceptional building and an exciting new step for LIV Student.”

GRAHAM was appointed by Valeo to deliver the LIV Student complex in April 2019 following a competitive tendering process.

Over 10,000m3 of concrete has been poured since the project commenced, while a range of water conservation measures, such as reusing water to make more concrete in a closed loop, have been successfully introduced.

LIV Student Belfast is just one of a number of major projects that GRAHAM is completing in Belfast city centre with the 35,000 sq ft refurbishment and fit out of Eagle Star House, just a short distance from Belfast City Hall, another example of the Hillsborough headquartered company’s local footprint.

Recent completed schemes in the city also include Erskine House, now the home of HMRC, on the boundary area of Arthur Street and Chichester Street, and Little Patrick Street student accommodation, which is an 11-storey purpose built property comprising of 430 beds in a mix of cluster and studio bedrooms.

GRAHAM’s student residential portfolio is also expanding considerably in England and Scotland. Notably, the University of York (£130m) project, delivering nearly 1,500 high-specification student residential units and associated modern communal space, exemplifies its expertise in this market.

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