Newcastle’s growing student population, with over 50,000 full-time students across two universities, has created a strong demand for high-quality accommodation. To address this, HG Living has partnered with Singapore-based Q Investment Partners (QIP) to deliver a 350-bed Purpose-Built Student Accommodation scheme at St James’ Boulevard.
Located near Newcastle University’s ‘Newcastle Helix’ innovation district and key academic buildings, this project is the fourth collaboration between HG Living and QIP. It forms part of a wider £200M UK student housing venture, with HG Construction leading the build.
Completion is set for summer 2025, aiming to meet the needs of both domestic and international students.
Aquatechnik’s MLCP pipe and patented fittings from the Safety-Plus system were chosen to supply the heating, and the domestic hot and cold-water supplies into the compartments due to its ease of installation and versatility. The ability to install long lengths of up to 50m of pre-insulated pipework behind finished surfaces with no joints greatly reduced the risk of leaks.
Critical flow requirements, ensuring no restrictions in the pipework flow were also crucial to avoid performance issues in this high-demand student accommodation project. Aquatechnik has clear advantages in terms of fluid flow, the unique feature of this system is that it maintains the same flow cross section at the pipe/fitting transition point, compared to traditional methods which show a significant reduction in flow.
This innovative principle allows considerable reduction of pressure drops in a simple, rapid and reliable way, which not only favours energy savings due to reduced pump energy usage but also leads to a reduction in associated pipeline noise.
Roddy Devine, Project Manager at Excelsior Services commented: “This development is a best-in-class PBSA which will add significant value to the area. Every aspect of the building, including the piped services have been designed to the highest possible standards”. MLCP systems have come a long way over the years and Aquatechnik offered improved flow rates when compared to other MLCP systems and low linear thermal expansion. These benefits coupled with speed of installation, colour coded insulation and the ability to form tight hand formed bends made Aquatechnik the obvious choice.
Specialist Equipment Provider: MEP Hire Durham played a vital role in supplying the specialised tooling required to install the Aquatechnik system. As experts in hire equipment for mechanical and electrical projects, MEP Hire ensured the installation was completed efficiently and accurately.
The collaboration between contractors and suppliers ensured the seamless installation of a high-performing system tailored to the project’s requirements.