Developer Downing has started construction of the façade on a £400 million mixed-used scheme in Manchester.

The firm has also revealed the name of the co-living development - Square Gardens – which is located on First Street.

Its name draws inspiration from Garden Street which previously lay in the middle of the site and owes to the abundance of green space residents will benefit from.

The new neighbourhood features three tower blocks comprising 1,772 apartments and boasts one of the largest outdoor spaces in the city connected to residential, including 17,000 sq ft of commercial, leisure and retail.


Square Gardens will complete the regeneration of First Street and provide a new community with a mix of accommodation types and price-points, ranging from private studios to five-bedroom apartments, as well as conventional one and two-bedroom apartments, mindfully curated for the modern renter.

The towers, designed by rchitects Simpson Haugh Partnership, are now in the next stage of construction with the installation of a façade by Focchi Group.

The entire façade is prefabricated off site which limits waste and improves both quality and installation time. A key element of the design is the glass unitised curtain walling which will give a light reflective quality that responds to different weather conditions and times of the day whilst providing unrestricted views of the city for residents.

Landscaping works will commence later this year with the scheme incorporating 9,900m2 of new landscape, of which 5,800m2 is accessible to the public along with the addition of over 140 new trees. It is hoped this will boost biodiversity, improve air quality and aid in the mental health of not only the residents, but the wider First Street community.