Merrion Street

As one of the UK’s leading MEP consultancy firms, Whitecode Consulting has ensured student housing providers Scape achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ for its new student accommodation in Leeds.

Having worked with them in the past, Scape relied on Whitecode Consulting’s guidance and expertise for achieving the desired BREEAM rating. In fact, the MEP consultancy specialists are completing BREEAM In Use assessments for all Scape’s current PBSA buildings across the UK.

The project began in 2019, so when Whitecode Consulting was entrusted with supporting the BREEAM assessment earlier this year, it was already post-Stage 2. This meant that some of the early credits had not been achieved, while some awarded credits were not typically targeted by Scape.

Therefore, Whitecode Consulting needed to undertake a full review and investigate alternative credits to ensure that the client achieved the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ target. As accredited BREEAM Advisory Professionals, our experienced assessors provided a comprehensive BREEAM consultancy and AP service.

With Whitecode Consulting having recently opened a second office, in Birmingham, to expand their service area to include more of the UK, the assessors were ideally located to provide ongoing advice and be available whenever the client needed.

The project, due for completion in August 2024, involved the construction of a crystalline tower, featuring 660 bed spaces and a ground floor retail space. Located within the heart of Leeds city centre’s Arena Quarter, the stylish tower offers luxurious student accommodation and comprehensive on-site amenities, such as a fitness studio, and multimedia and cinema rooms.

Keen to meet sustainability targets and standards, the client also incorporated low carbon heating and PV panels into the design of the building.

Ellen Huelin, Sustainability Director at Whitecode Consulting, highlighted the importance of close collaboration between all involved in the project. She said: “With the client wanting to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating, it was essential that everyone worked cohesively to ensure this target was possible.

“Providing ongoing advice and support, the experienced and incredibly talented consultancy team played a vital role in the success of what was a monumental and significant project.”