Michael Nugent Ltd has delivered the full mechanical and electrical package of works on the new student accommodation facility at 123 York Street, Belfast. The M&E element of the building, which includes 407 bedrooms, ground floor retail units, shared living spaces and landscaped courtyards, required an experienced company that could carry out the work efficiently and to deadline. Michael Nugent more than fit the bill, delivering a building that’s a worthy addition to its already impressive portfolio.
The area around the new University of Ulster campus in York Street is currently undergoing a major transformation. The new campus buildings, rising up to 16 storeys in height, are redefining the skyline and establishing a new ‘city’ scale.
The team at Michael Nugent Ltd had a big ask on their hands; complete the full mechanical and electrical package of works at this 16 storey building, on time and to budget. The company’s mechanical services are tailored to the architectural dimensions of each project it undertakes, thereby creating an efficient mechanical engineering solution. This was the perfect approach to 123 York St, a tricky project that required collaboration between all the design teams involved. Electrical services are the newest addition to Michael Nugent Ltd’s range of disciplines. The solutions that the company brought to 123 York Street are the most current and innovative in the industry.
Mechanical services provided by Michael Nugent Ltd on this project included:
- Ventilation supply and installation
- Full domestic water services supply and installation
- Sanitary ware installation
- Gas pipework installation
- AHU
- Dry riser installation
- Flue installation
- BMS control systems installation
- Gas detection system installation
One of the biggest challenges on this project was meeting the tight deadline. By calling on experience gained throughout a variety of projects, the team at Michael Nugent managed to not only meet the deadline but delivered the new accommodation to the highest standards.
An ability to adapt is at the heart of Michael Nugent Ltd. Although the company has completed several projects in the residential sector, 123 York Street presented itself with its own unique set of challenges. A concerted effort to complete the job to the highest possible standards and work collaboratively with the rest of the teams allowed the company to tackle any issues that cropped up during the installation phase. A landmark building for Belfast and a very welcome addition to the much-needed student accommodation market, 123 York Street is only a short distance from Ulster and Queen’s Universities. The building consists of 407 bedrooms, made up of en- suites, studios and twin rooms.
Amenities include common rooms, social areas, games room, cinema room, a quiet sanctuary and a courtyard. 123 York Street is a modern, innovative, purpose- built facility, built to satisfy the needs of today’s students. Established in 1963, Michael Nugent Ltd is one of the leading mechanical and electrical services providers in Northern Ireland. The company’s expertise ranges from mechanical and electrical services to facilities management. A wealth of experience when it comes to providing a professional, high- quality service to each and every client means Michael Nugent Ltd enjoys a high level of repeat business. The company commits itself to a simple ethos: to provide ‘the best service first time, in time’. That ethos is carried across every job the company undertakes, including 123 York Street, where time constraints didn’t affect the high standards of workmanship applied to the project. With years of experience, the company approaches each contract with an unrivalled knowledge that sees every job, from large to small, completed to the highest standard.
123 York Street joins a growing portfolio of projects by Michael Nugent across the UK and Ireland including the QUB Biological Sciences Building, the Waverley Offices in Edinburgh, City of London Freemen’s School and the NIFRS Learning and Development Centre at Desertcreat.
Michael Nugent Ltd, 2 Tandragee Road, Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone, BT70 3DS. T: 028 8775 8617
E: info@michaelnugent.co.uk
W: www.michaelnugent.co.uk
Across the UK, around 30% of full-time first year students live in private purpose-built student accommodation, up from 22% five years ago. Private accommodations offer a buzzing social hub for students, especially those coming from further afield – providing a new home for young people travelling from as far as China or UAE. The number of students choosing relocation to Belfast over other UK cities is steadily rising. A recent report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) found that international students are worth £170m to the Northern Ireland economy, as well as bringing valuable intercultural skills and diversity to the country.
In 123 York Street, contractor Michael Nugent Ltd sought to create the perfect new home for such students and designed modern residences with 407 bedrooms, including en-suites, studios and twin rooms. An ambitious project required a reputable team, so after previous successful close collaboration, Michael Nugent turned to Beggs & Partners for their professional sanitary ware supply.
The client, Signature Living, had also worked with Beggs & Partners on student accommodation before, requesting their supply of sanitary ware to 41 apartments on a Donegal Road project in Belfast. 123 York Street was a significantly upscaled operation, with over 300 suites requiring high quality sanity ware.
Beggs & Partners were involved with Michael Nugent Ltd from the early design stages to completion of the project. The plans for this premium accommodation required high specification products, with Beggs & Partners teaming up with Ideal Standard from the outset to deliver products from Ideal Standard’s Tesi and Concept range’s. These products provided the quality, modernity and reliability required for the accommodation – it is the same standard used in Belfast’s luxury hotel, The Grand Central.
The selected range offers a lifetime guarantee, which is rarely offered across most sanitaryware manufacturers. Tesi’s accessible quality and versatility make it easy to assemble a beautifully co-ordinated bathroom. Its soft geometric lines, along with its innovative AquaBlade ® flushing technology, creates a modern and enjoyable space in these student halls. All Tesi WCs include AquaBlade® Technology, and it’s this pioneering functionality that has inspired an equally contemporary design. From the curved bowl to the signature ultra slim seat, it’s an elegant statement of refined design. The public toilet facilities are all fitted with Ideal Standard as well, allowing visitors, such as student parents, to appreciate the care taken to ensure state of the art facilities were provided.
The building process itself ran smoothly and was completed quickly. The budget was adhered to, there were no issues onsite and logistics of the project were kept simple, since the Beggs & Partners Belfast branch was right next door!
Alastair Scott, Contracts Manager at Beggs & Partners, summarized, “This was a great project to be a part of. We have an excellent relationship with Michael Nugent’s – no issues on site and the logistics were easy because of what we do and do well. Being involved from the design stage, we knew we had to deliver a mid-high spec product whilst bearing in mind budget had to be hit. And we did exactly that.”
Beggs & Partners’ Heating division were also the key supplier of Reliance TMW’s for the dry risers, ensuring the need for a high-performance standard was combined with safe operating criteria throughout the halls.
Beggs & Partners have developed a thriving, strong and professional relationship with the experienced Michael Nugent Ltd, having consistently provided high quality supplies for the company’s numerable projects. Successful collaborative ventures between the two businesses have included the Queens University Sciences building, the NIFRS Learning and Development Centre in Desertcreat and the Blair Mayne Leisure Centre in Newtownards.
Beggs & Partners, Great Patrick Street, Belfast.
Branches at Belfast, Ballymena, Lisburn, Maghera, Newtonards and Portadown.
T: 028 9023 5791
W: www.beggsandpartners.com
Crystal Air Services provided its expert services to the new student accommodation facility at 123 York Street in Belfast. A large-scale project, Crystal Air was able to showcase its ability to deliver a job of this magnitude whilst adhering to the same quality levels it applies to every project.
The company installed a complete air-conditioning package for the new student accommodation. With over 40 knowledgeable installation and service engineers, Crystal Air was well prepared to tackle any challenge that cropped up during the installation phase. A tight deadline meant the company was under pressure to deliver the project to deadline; understanding what it takes to get to the finish line on time and within budget meant Crystal Air was up to the task.
The company worked closely with the mechanical contractor on this project to ensure the installation phase ran smoothly. “We have an excellent relationship with Michael Nugent Ltd which helped ensure there were no difficulties or delays on this project. We’re delighted to have contributed to this important project for Belfast and we look forward to working with Michael Nugent again in the near future,” said Mark Mawhinney, Director at Crystal Air.
Crystal Air Services offers a complete service for air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, heating and renewable technology and has worked on commercial projects such as schools, offices, factories and hospitals across Ireland, Great Britain and even into mainland Europe. As well as being an approved Hitachi installer, the company is a D1 Approved Installer for Daikin and also represents Vortice.
Crystal Air Services Ltd, 205 Belfast Road, Ballynahinch, BT24 8UR
T: 0044 (0)28 9756 1404
E: info@crystal-air.com
W: www.crystal-air.com
On the new student accommodation project at 123 York Street in Belfast, EB Gas Services Ltd was responsible for the installation of all welded pipework from the meter to three Lochinvar water heaters. The experienced firm also supplied, installed and commissioned Intelligas Leak Detection panels complete with methane, CO sensor, thermal links and emergency stop button. A 65mm flanged solenoid was also supplied and commissioned by the company.
As one of the largest gas service and installation companies in Ireland, EB Gas Services Ltd was well placed to take on this prestigious project. Services provided by the company include pipework and equipment commissioning, covering all gas domestic, commercial, industrial and catering appliances. A knowledgeable in-house team is on hand to offer advice on all aspects of domestic and commercial gas installation. They also offer a design service for both catering and heating applications.
T: 0044 (0)28 3026 2908
E: service@ebgasservices.com
W: www.ebgasservices.com
BSS Group supplied a range of high quality, durable products to the new student accommodation project at 123 York Street in Belfast. As the UK’s largest, leading distributor of pipeline and heating solutions, the company was best placed to supply a large amount of products to this prestigious project. Items supplied to 123 York Street included Geberit pipe and fittings, Oventrop valves and Grundfos pumps.
A quick and efficient delivery service ensured the mechanical contractor on the project wasn’t left waiting for much-needed products, ensuring the build process was able to proceed without disruption. BSS Group has been working with Michael Nugent Ltd for over 20 years.
That excellent relationship also helped ensure the project was delivered to schedule. BSS Group provides bespoke solutions to customers including products, specifications, technical support and aftersales care. The company’s commitment to customer service and to stocking a wide variety of diverse products has ensured it is one of the leading distributors in the country.
T: 028 9078 4000
E: 1910.sales@bssgroup.com
W: www.bssindustrial.co.uk
