Contractor Henry Brothers Construction is working on its third scheme at The University of Manchester as it continues its growth in the North West.

The company has been appointed on a £12m project to refurbish levels two and three of the Chemistry Building. It follows successful completion of phase one at the Chemistry Building, where Henry Brothers undertook the complete refurbishment of floors four and five, along with work to the level eight plantroom, roof and external ductwork and services.

The company has also recently completed brick recladding at University Place in Oxford Road – a 1,000 capacity university venue which is also used for conferences and high profile events.

Success in the region has led to Henry Brothers relocating to a larger space in the offices it opened in Manchester in 2022. The company has also taken on five new members of staff – a senior quantity surveyor, a senior design manager and three additional site-based staff.

The news comes after Henry Brothers Construction was recently appointed to the North West Construction Hub Framework, which could also open up a pipeline of opportunities for the business.

Henry Brothers Construction MD Ian Taylor said:

“We are very pleased to be partnering with The University of Manchester on our third project together, supporting the university with its plans to improve facilities for students and staff."

“Henry Brothers has built up a good relationship with a number of universities in the Midlands over the past few years, including Nottingham Trent, Loughborough, and Staffordshire, and we are delighted to see this being replicated in the North West, where we opened a dedicated office last year."

“Our sustained growth in the region has led to Henry Brothers Construction recruiting two new senior members of the team in recent weeks, plus we have just taken larger office space. The North West is a vibrant region, and we are excited to have cemented a place on the North West Construction Hub Framework, which we hope will create new and continuing opportunities for the business in the area.”

Work is progressing well on the latest scheme at The University of Manchester, which involves a full refurbishment of levels two and three of the 1960s-built, seven-storey building. It includes reorganising the layout of the two floors to create flexible lab space to feature new fume cupboards and fixed benching, dedicated write-up spaces with glazed screens for visibility throughout the lab, modern offices and attractive break-out areas.

Housing one of the largest Chemistry departments in the UK, the building is situated at the junction of Brunswick Park and Upper Brook Street. The project was procured through the Crown Commercial Services Framework, and is due for completion in September 2024.

The design team for the refurb includes Gardiner and Theobold as NEC project manager, RLB as quantity surveyor, Halliday Meecham Architects, structural engineers Curtins and EDPI for M&E services.

Henry Brothers Construction is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out. In partnership with clients, it has a proven track record in education, defence, accommodation, commercial, industrial, transport and healthcare sectors.