The Joinery: Rooted in Community & Partnership
With approximately 12 months remaining until practical completion, The Joinery’s construction journey continues to progress well in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Since breaking ground at the end of 2023, our team has made excellent progress, with the superstructure now virtually complete across the site and several more trades commenced.
Manchester’s development landscape is constantly evolving with new projects reshaping the city’s skyline. Despite being domestic in scale when compared to many other residential projects around the city, The Joinery, still stands apart. Positioned within the historic Northern Quarter, it represents a considered, community-focused approach to regeneration that prioritises long-term value over short-term gains.
Progress Through Partnership
So, what makes this project unique? The answer lies in its scale, purpose and delivery. The Joinery was designed for seamless local integration. Unlike high-rise developments that can feel imposing, it embraces a domestic and human scale design. The vision was simple: create a space that feels lived in, welcoming people back into the city rather than pushing them out. It’s a project built on collaboration. Working alongside Marco Living and CDL and in conjunction with Manchester City Council, we are ensuring the transformation of what was once underutilised space into a vibrant and sustainable addition to the Northern Quarter.
The Joinery ‘neatly’ slots into the existing built environment and respects the historic residential mill conversions of Jacksons Warehouse, Avro Mill and the office/leisure conversion of the former shipping and packing warehouse known as Fourways House on Tariff Street. New build development that compliments these sensitively renovated historic buildings is key to creating a vibrant urban landscape that people aspire to work and live in.
It was also important to ensure the materials used in the construction of The Joinery complement the existing fabric of the buildings around us which is why we chose a traditional ‘Manchester brick’ finish. In addition, the project is designed with its residents at the forefront to be a highly sustainable and energy efficient building that will keep running costs low for its residents and ensure high quality, well-designed living spaces that provide the most up to date thermal and acoustic building credentials with an EPC B rating.
The project also afforded us the opportunity to support the City Council’s vision for the area as set out in the areas Strategic Regeneration Framework and complete the long-held ambition to create a pedestrian link directly from Tariff Street to Great Ancoats Street and onto Redhill Street thereby improving the connection between Ancoats/New Islington and the City Centre.
Adapting to Market Challenges Together
The economic climate presents undeniable challenges for property development across the UK and these challenges are unlikely to improve anytime soon. Ever since Brexit the UK has had to deal with an ever-changing economic climate that has been influenced by numerous events domestic and international. The effect has been high inflation and increased interest rates/borrowing costs as well as supply-chain issues that have led to significant increases in build costs and reduced investor appetite for UK real estate which has stalled much of the development market. This has been exacerbated by regulatory changes – principally brought about by the Grenfell Tower Fire and the drive to Net Zero – which adds further cost and time to development programmes on projects that were already struggling with viability.At The Joinery, we’ve encountered our share of obstacles – Trussonomics being a significant one! Yet our approach to these challenges reflects Axis’s core principles in action. Rather than compromising on quality or cutting corners, we’ve leveraged our deep market understanding and flexible development strategy to maintain momentum. By tracking sales data and monitoring conditions across different property sectors, we identify opportunity where others might see limitation. This allows us to pivot where necessary, keeping our projects viable and relevant.
Our partnership approach strengthens project resilience, and working alongside landowners and stakeholders, we share both the risk and the reward, creating sustainable models that benefit us all. It’s not about ego, it’s about consistency, understanding and patience, even in the most challenging of times.
A Development That Reflects Our Values
The Joinery is more than bricks and mortar, it embodies our commitment to local context sensitivity, respecting architectural heritage and creating a development that truly belongs. Large-scale, impersonal projects can often feel disconnected from their surroundings, but here, every detail has been considered to encourage integration. The space is inviting, not overwhelming, supporting local economic activity and improving the area rather than altering it beyond recognition. Prioritising relationships over a focus just on the ‘bottom line’, we are committed to making sure the project’s success benefits everyone. Working closely with the landowner, we structured a deal that is both commercially and mutually rewarding. We also adopted this approach with the Local Authority thereby aligning our vision for a sustainable development that complements the City Council’s wider ambitions.
Looking Ahead
Over the coming months we will continue to hit key milestones starting with the completion of the structural frame for both buildings in April 2025. Our teams are now focusing on internal partition installation, first-fix electrical work, and wiring systems, while exterior cladding work continues to advance. These stages will gradually reveal The Joinery’s distinctive exterior and how it complements the Northern Quarter’s unique character.
Delivering a project of this scale and quality requires exceptional teamwork, and we are immensely grateful to our partners and contractors for their dedication and expertise. Special thanks go to our main contractor United Living Group and sub-contractors OBR Construction Group and SAL Construction Group, along with our development partner Marco Living, investment partner CDL and our team of consultants whose collective efforts continue to drive this project forward. We look forward to sharing further progress updates as The Joinery continues to transform this corner of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.