Manchester, United Kingdom - Waterman

Aamar Lovell wins ICE North West Emerging Engineers Award

lrichards — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:57:04 +0000

We are delighted to celebrate the success of Aamar Lovell, an apprentice engineer in our Manchester Infrastructure & Environment team, who has won the ICE North West Princess Royal Award for Emerging Engineers at the regional final.

The award recognises outstanding early-career engineers who demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and a commitment to the profession. Aamar was named this year’s winner following a standout presentation titled “Engineering the 22nd Century Bridge: Materials, Digitalisation and Predictive Intelligence,” showcasing his forward-thinking approach to the future of civil engineering.

Reflecting on his achievement, Aamar said: “I am honoured to have been awarded the ICE North West Princess Royal Award for Emerging Engineers, and I am grateful to be part of such a supportive team. A huge thank you to everyone at Waterman’s Manchester office.”

Through his work with Waterman, Aamar has supported a wide range of infrastructure projects, including Manchester City Council’s 2026 General Inspection programme and structural assessment work for DRAX Hydro in Scotland. His role has included inspection planning and delivery, site inspections, technical assessments, and producing clear, high-quality reports to support asset management and maintenance decisions.

As the North West winner, Aamar will now represent the region in the next stage of the competition, with the opportunity to be shortlisted for the Princess Royal Award for Emerging Engineers International Final later this year.

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We’re incredibly proud of Aamar. This is a fantastic and well-deserved achievement, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for the national awards!

Dan Southwell,
Associate Director

Well done to all participants in this year’s ICE North West Princess Royal Award for Emerging Engineers and a special congratulations to Aamar on this fantastic achievement.

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Manchester Metropolitan University Cambridge Halls

npilch — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:30:25 +0000

Manchester Metropolitan University Cambridge Halls

The redevelopment of Manchester Metropolitan University’s Cambridge Halls accommodation is the result of a ground-breaking partnership between the university and Unite Students.

Situated in the heart of the city’s university quarter, the Cartwright Pickard-designed scheme will deliver 2,302 new student bedrooms, arranged across towers of 30 and 24 storeys. To make way for the new blocks, the existing 1990s-built Cambridge Halls will be demolished.

The new development will offer a range of room types, including dorm-style, cluster flats and studios, and will cater for students with different needs and budgets. The scheme also includes a super‑sized kitchen and lounge for 400 students, and residents will have access to a variety of high-quality amenity spaces, including a rooftop exercise area, sports pitches and an allotment. Space will be provided for a new community health centre, whilst shared access for pedestrians and cyclists through the middle of the site will be incorporated, along with enhanced landscaping and public spaces.

Under the joint venture, Unite Students will act as developer, asset manager and operator with a 70% share of the ownership.

Continuing our successful partnerships with both Manchester Metropolitan University and Unite Students, Waterman’s team provided multidisciplinary support for this latest project. Our building services expert’s all-electric MEP design incorporates roof-mounted air source heat pumps for heating and hot water, along with a hybrid ventilation system to suit the busy city centre location.

With the development targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, our sustainability services specialists worked closely with Unite Students to support their commitment to delivering Net Zero student accommodation, seeing us conduct detailed pre-demolition and reuse audits to embed material circularity within the design. In addition, we also provided detailed energy and overheating strategies and lead the BREEAM assessment.

Construction of the first 1,101 beds is expected to complete in time for the start of the 2029/30 academic year, whilst the second phase, offering 1,201 beds, is scheduled to complete the following year.

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Crown Commercial Services MCF4 Framework

npilch — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:15:25 +0000

Our re-appointed to the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Management Consultancy Framework (MCF4) is seeing us provide an increased range of services covering environmental, sustainability and infrastructure advice over the two-year framework.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) is the UK’s biggest public procurement organisation and an executive agency of the Cabinet Office. MCF4 provides clients access to advice for a range of specialisms helping the public sector maximise every pound so precious resources can go where they are needed most.

The robust selection criteria required successful suppliers to demonstrate a track record of delivering the highest levels of professional advice, carbon management and cyber security. The framework is utilised by Central Government Departments and all other UK Public Sector Bodies, including Local Authorities, Health, Police, Fire and Rescue, Education, Charities, Third Sector, Housing Associations and Devolved Administrations.

Our appointment follows on from our work on MCF3 where we delivered multiple projects working with a range of clients including the Civil Aviation Authority, Network Rail, Highlands & Islands Airports, along with a number of local authorities.

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Bury College’s Woodbury Centre transformed after major redevelopment

lrichards — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:34:08 +0000

Bury College’s Woodbury Centre in Greater Manchester has been totally transformed following a recently completed redevelopment.

Reimagining the existing building, the new facility provides a stunning cafeteria and professional kitchens, social spaces, and new garden for students, staff, and visitors to enjoy. In addition, the Wilson Mason-designed scheme features a new entrance and enhancements to existing windows to maximise natural light whilst minimising solar gain, reducing energy use and enhancing indoor comfort.

Following our successful support for the Beacon Building, our team returned to Bury College once again to support this latest development. Working in partnership with the design team and main contractors, HH Smith & Sons, our team provided building services and structural designs.

Formerly home to the Hair and Beauty department, which was relocated to the new Beacon Building, our M&E design for the Woodbury Centre delivered much needed improvements to the energy efficiency and comfort through upgraded heating, ventilation, and electrical systems, in addition to better insulation, and renewed internal finishes.

In a boost to accessibility, the scheme also saw the creation of a new entrance which is designed to accommodate all users and removing the requirement for separate entrances. Our structures design enabled this feature entrance, with our specialists also unlocking the potential of the revised internal spaces.

Celebrating the transformation of Bury College’s campus in a recent statement, Mike Bromley, Head of Estates and Health and Safety at Bury College, said: “Leading this project over the past three years has been a real privilege. Working alongside our fantastic design team and builders, we’ve made huge improvements across many parts of the College estate. In what feels like three very short years, we’ve transformed the College and made a real, lasting difference to the learner experience. The best part has been seeing these new spaces come to life and genuinely make a positive impact – not just on the college community, but on Bury as a whole.”

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This significant redevelopment will make a lasting difference for students, staff and visitors, and I’m sure it will prove a popular addition to the facilities on offer at the College. It has been a real pleasure to work in partnership with the College in recent years to help them achieve their goal for delivering a more sustainable campus, and we look forward to working closely with them once again in the future.

Waterman’s Director for Building Services, Tim Davies

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