KEY PERSONNEL:
Flagship 307-bed student accommodation in Belfast City Centre
A flagship 307-bed student accommodation in central Belfast, strategically located beside the Ulster University Belfast Campus to cater to the high footfall of students. 48 – 52 York Street is an ideal location for students, situated at the heart of inner Belfast, directly opposite the Ulster University Belfast Campus on York Street and adjacent to 123 York Street.
The 10-storey mixed-use development integrates retail units, communal spaces, and self-contained bedrooms, all built on a robust reinforced concrete frame with sustainable drainage systems. The project employed slip forming for vertical cores and ‘flying’ table forms for rapid slab construction, significantly accelerating build time. A reduced slab thickness of 225 mm lowered structural dead load, enabling fewer piles and enhancing overall efficiency.
The constrained urban site demanded a column-free rear access zone, achieved through a shallow reinforced concrete transfer structure. Raking columns and a creative crate layout facilitated load transfer and drainage within a tight footprint, showcasing engineering ingenuity in overcoming spatial limitations. Despite the absence of a basement, foundation excavations required careful planning. Temporary sheet piling safeguarded the public adjacent the site boundaries, while reinforced slabs with dense top mats and capped starter bars enhanced on-site safety for personnel.
