HBD and GMPF appoints architect for Manchester’s the Island scheme

Property developer HBD and GMPF has appointed architecture practice Cartwright Pickard on its Island Site, a key project at the centre of Manchester city centre.

Cartwright Pickard’s Manchester studio has delivered several award-winning buildings in the city, including XYZ in Spinningfields. It also has offices in Leeds and London.

Being delivered by HBD as a joint venture with Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund (GMPVF), the Island scheme will see the regeneration of a key site at the heart of the city into a first-class office and workspace location.

Situated within the St Ann’s conservation area, the development will provide a new address on John Dalton Street, helping to forge greater links between the emerging Lincoln Square masterplan and St Ann’s Square. Its design will be sympathetic to its surroundings, favouring material tones, forms and finishes to reflect the rich architectural heritage of the area.

Ross Ogilvie, Associate Director at Cartwright Pickard, said: “The new scheme will incorporate a range of uses, creating a vibrant, fluid and inviting ground floor which will provide amenity for both tenants within the building and the wider community, while its upper floors will deliver high quality commercial space benefiting from fantastic levels of natural daylight and 360° views across Manchester and beyond.

“Sustainability is also a major consideration in the design of the building, so we’ll be utilising low carbon technologies to support tenants’ health and wellbeing.”

Steve Manifold, Senior Development Surveyor at HBD, said: “The Island is one of the city’s prime development sites, but has been underused for some time now. We’re very pleased to have Cartwright Pickard on board and look forward to working with the team to deliver a scheme that is befitting of its position within the city and complementary to surrounding architecture, but which is also an effective building in the way that it operates, creating a healthy and pleasant environment for those using it.”

HBD has offices in Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Manchester and is working with a development pipeline of more than £1.6bn. Its diverse, UK-wide portfolio includes big-brand retail, office space and logistics, through to residential innovation and award-winning heritage projects.