GMI Construction Group and developer and investment manager Bywater have marked a major milestone in the transformation of 35 Fountain Street in Manchester with a topping out ceremony celebrating the building reaching its highest point.
Representatives from GMI, Bywater, and the wider project team gathered at the city centre site to recognise progress on the redevelopment, which is targeting some of the highest environmental standards for a commercial building in Manchester.
GMI, which this year marks its 40th anniversary, is delivering the major repositioning of the existing office building, retaining its steel frame and adding three new upper floors using a low-carbon timber hybrid structure.
The completed development will provide 87,000 sq. ft of Grade A office accommodation across a basement and nine upper floors, with the additional storeys creating around 16,000 sq. ft of new workspace. Roof gardens will also form part of the scheme.
The development is being delivered by Bywater in a 50:50 joint venture with Greater Manchester Evergreen 2 Limited Partnership, with development finance provided by senior lender North West Evergreen LP. The Evergreen funds are backed by regional investment partners, including the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), to support economic growth and commercial development across the region.
Central to the project is the decision to retain and reuse the existing building rather than demolish and replace it. Combined with the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) within the extension, this will significantly reduce the amount of embodied carbon associated with the development.
The project has an upfront embodied carbon figure of just 371kgCO₂e/m², compared with a typical new-build figure of around 1,000kgCO₂e/m² – a saving of 629kgCO₂e/m².
In addition, the responsibly sourced timber incorporated into the hybrid structure will lock away an estimated 618 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent during its lifespan.
35 Fountain Street, due for completion in summer 2027, is targeting BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS 5 star, WELL Platinum and EPC A, reflecting the project’s focus on both reducing its environmental impact and creating a high-quality, energy-efficient workplace.
Phillip Johnson, GMI’s Regional Director for the North West, said: “Reaching the highest point is a significant milestone and reflects the exceptional delivery of our site team and supply chain on what is a technically demanding city centre project.
“Working with the existing structure while introducing three new floors using a timber hybrid solution requires careful planning, precision and close coordination at every stage.
“Fountain Street has also given us the opportunity to build a strong relationship with Bywater, and we hope this will be the first of many projects we deliver together.”
Patrick O’Gorman, CEO of Bywater, said: “Fountain Street is about demonstrating that we can create the high-quality office space Manchester needs without automatically resorting to demolition and new build.
“By retaining the existing structure and combining it with a low-carbon timber extension, we’re dramatically reducing embodied carbon while creating a Grade A workplace designed to meet some of the highest environmental standards.
“Reaching this milestone brings us another step closer to realising that vision and delivering a building we believe will set a new benchmark for sustainable office development in Manchester.”
Designed by Bennetts Associates, the 35 Fountain Street project team also includes Heyne Tillett Steel, Gardiner & Theobald, B&K Hybrid Solutions and CBRE.