Salford Council has approved the city’s first co-living scheme, which will feature 568 self-contained studio apartments. This ambitious project, spearheaded by Progressive Living Developments, is situated on Gorton Street and will be known as Enclave Salford.
Designed by BDP, the development is located within the Greengate Regeneration Area. It boasts extensive amenity spaces, including residents’ lounges, a cinema room, games room, makers’ space, communal cooking and dining areas, a gym and wellness centre, co-working spaces, and meeting rooms. Spanning 42 floors, the units range in size from 226 sq ft to 376 sq ft, with 26,500 sq ft dedicated to communal areas aimed at fostering a vibrant community.
Currently a car park, the 0.42-acre site is surrounded by existing residential properties, the River Irwell, and railway arches. Progressive Living Developments plans to repurpose the railway arches for future food, drink, or lifestyle businesses. The external structure comprises two rectilinear towers, one 42 floors high and another 39 floors. The façade features three-storey modular glazing with a grid detail, expressed in light bronze and natural silver, complementing the traditional stone and brickwork seen in Salford and Manchester.
The property aims to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating. High-quality public realm improvements are also part of the planning application, designed to enhance pedestrian and cycle access to the existing riverside walkway and the proposed Greengate Park.
David Fairclough, director at Progressive Living Developments, stated, “Our vision for Gorton Street remains committed to the positive contribution to Salford’s wider regeneration strategy for Greengate, and the delivery of a high-quality co-living scheme that will offer a more affordable accommodation option for young professionals wanting to live in the city centre. We have spent the last five years researching and developing our co-living model with our partners and are delighted that Salford City Council has worked with us and embraced those principles to deliver the first co-living scheme in Salford. Building sustainable communities is key for us and this carefully considered complex will ensure that residents have access to an array of communal spaces that will enable them to connect with others, and support their wellbeing.”
Mike Hitchmough, architect director at BDP, remarked, “The approval of Enclave Salford is a significant contribution to the ongoing development of this exciting area, and the building is an exemplar of modern city living and mixed-use development. We are very excited to see it come to fruition.” Meanwhile, David Diggle, Senior Director for Planning at Turley, added, “Co-living is an emerging accommodation product which is seeking to respond to the changing residential habits of society. Co-living of this type, and in this location, will improve the city’s overall offer and appeal, as well as much-needed further choice in this dynamic city.”
The project team for Enclave Salford includes BDP, Renaissance, Novo, Zerum, OFR, Turley, Eddisons, Exterior Architecture, Hydrock, Hann Tucker, and ERAP.
This pioneering co-living scheme in Salford represents a forward-thinking approach to urban accommodation, aiming to deliver affordable, high-quality living spaces while contributing positively to the region’s regeneration efforts.