Metsec provides framing solution for Cambridge Street residential towers

voestalpine Metsec has supplied its SFS infill walling for the Cambridge Street regeneration project in Manchester. Metsec’s infill walling will be used in the construction of two apartment buildings, standing at 29 and 21 storeys tall.

The project is the next phase of an on-going regeneration as part of Terry Farreyll’s 2001 plan for the area. The plan entails the conversion of two listed mills and the construction of two new residential towers marking a southern gateway. 

An additional urban landmark along a new street was also planned to link the mixed-use development to the city.

Framing solution & utilising BIM

To maintain the characteristics synonymous with the surrounding area, the architects specified Corium, a heavy brick-finish cladding.

Metsec used its in-house design expertise to ensure the steel framing solution was as efficient as possible when supporting the heavier cladding. This enabled a reduction in the cost of cladding brackets.

Metsec’s SFS infill walling was specified for the construction of the towers. Metsec utilised Revit (BIM) to produce drawings of the project, allowing clashes to be detected and floor-by-floor material lists to be produced. 

This allowed the materials to be ordered in phases, ensuring no excess products were requested and unused and on-site storage was kept to a minimum.

Ryan Simmonds, sales director of Metsec Framing, commented: “The redevelopment of the area surrounding Cambridge Street has been in full effect since the master plan was conceived in 2001. We’re thrilled to have been able to be a part of the Cambridge Street Project, and our work on the project truly demonstrates the additional value that BIM can bring to construction projects. 

Our expertise in using BIM on a project has really shone through on Cambridge Street, as it has allowed us to design effective solutions to the challenges presented by the project, such as supporting heavy cladding on the construction.”