This project involves a high value real estate development and investment for the benefit of the West Midlands Metropolitan Authorities Pension Fund, one of the largest public sector pension funds in the UK. The project will be for the delivery of a predominantly office based scheme in the densely developed core of Manchester, opposite Spinningfields, replacing in due course two existing 1960’s office buildings, Astley House and Byrom House, totalling some 150 000 sq ft net. The project involves the appraisal, design and construction of a highly significant complex expected to have a total usable area of approximately 250 000 sq ft net. Positive consultation with Manchester City Council and English Heritage has taken place to establish the broad parameters of the scheme and this will form the basis of a client brief. This will require development in accordance with the highest standards of contemporary, sustainable urban design, principally for commercial uses, but with a retail offering.

The Fund's requirement is for an architect with the experience, flair, expertise and resources to develop the Strategic brief to a completed design which meets the Fund’s institutional requirements, which attracts and secures the interest of the highest quality of tenant, securing detailed planning and conservation area consent and to tender the building works under a traditional, design led basis with a significant degree of specialist contractor design, on time, within budget and in accordance with European Public Procurement Rules.

It is currently envisaged that the design team will be retained to assist the Contract Administrator in managing brief compliance and quality control. The architect will act as lead designer and coordinator and in this position will assume a high degree of executive responsibility for shaping and directing this ambitious and prestigious project at every stage beyond the agreed strategic brief. This will include: testing the briefing model; developing the outline design and related options; development of floor plate options to support letting strategies; developing scheme design and information to support the submission of a full planning application, including liaising on the appointed planning consultant and heritage architectural consultant on detailed planning deliverables and English Heritage submissions; assisting the project manager to control and coordinate stage design deliverables and advising on a design and procurement strategy; assisting where applicable in the evaluation of other design consultant submissions; developing designs to support tender documents and assisting in the contractor procurement process; monitoring the developing post contract design and specification and assisting in on site compliance activities through to project handover.

This project is an investment for the Fund and it is envisaged that the property will be placed into a trust in the near future. Therefore, please note that the architectural services contract to which this procurement process relates will need to be novated from the Fund to the trust once it is established - full details will be provided in the invitation to Tender.