Major construction milestone at 551-apartment Bath Street complex

A highly-anticipated student accommodation development on Bath Street in Glasgow’s city centre has topped out, reaching full height at 36 metres. The scheme is for iQ Student Accommodation, one of the leading providers of private purpose-built student accommodation in the UK and is being delivered by GRAHAM Building North.

GRAHAM were joined by members of the project team including architect Cooper Cromar, engineering consultant Woolgar Hunter, project manager AtkinsRéalis and cost consultants Cumming Group to celebrate the milestone at an event on 9 July. Guests were invited to sign the commemorative board to mark their visit.

With significant shortages of student accommodation across Glasgow, the new iQ Student Accommodation scheme represents a major boost to the city’s economy, featuring 551 student apartments.

Luxury communal amenities including a gym, a gaming arcade, dining spaces and social areas will create dynamic living amenities for students. The development replaces a vacant 1970s office block which was demolished in 2023 and delivers a contemporary design with glazed frontage, complementing the existing streetscape.

GRAHAM has been progressing construction works at pace, completing the cores within eight weeks by January 2024. The development is expected to be completed in summer 2025, before welcoming students in September 2025.

Gary Holmes, Regional Managing Director at GRAHAM Building North, said:

“Glasgow has the largest demand and supply imbalance of student accommodation in the UK and the delivery of more than 500 new apartments is critical for the city.

“The project team has designed an innovative scheme that responds to modern-day student requirements while simultaneously breathing new life into an important city centre location. The development reaching full height is a key project milestone that we are proud to celebrate, and we look forward to progressing with the next phase of works.”

Tom McDougall, Director at Atkins Realis said:

“AtkinsRéalis is delighted to be part of this project which will have a significant impact on the provision of student accommodation across the city, providing modern day living and onsite amenities.

“Working alongside iQ Student Accommodation, GRAHAM and the wider project team, our project managers are excited to have achieved this major milestone and look forward to progressing the development over the next period.”