Customer - YPP Investments
Developer - Broadley
Architect - Brewster Bye Architects
Installation Contractor- WDS Commercial Limited
Product - Sandstone

The brief
This new seven-storey luxury student residential block development is situated in a prestigious part of Leeds where major restoration is currently underway. In keeping with the vibrant mix of contemporary architecture and older buildings, Aliva were asked to ensure a product that complements the traditional character of the area and which satisfies the building’s fire regulation requirements.

What Aliva did
Aliva designed, manufactured and supplied a safety-first product that communicates modernity at the street level but also interplays with the immediate built environment. Neighbouring buildings include a mixture of styles from red brick to curtain-walled, brutal, and classical. The sandstone was chosen to provide the right balance and harmony with the grade-II listed O2 Academy Leeds, located next door. The product installed consists of 40mm stone using the Ali Stone 2 system.

What makes it special
Aliva leveraged its key supply relationships with quarries to quickly source and assess a stone that matched the requirement, after the original stone chosen for the project suddenly ceased just prior to manufacturing. Through its close relationships any delays were minimised and the client’s objective achieved. The shape of the façade itself is not uniform, with three distinct sections consisting of several bays and horizontal features. The location next to the A660 also proved challenging for logistics during construction. With little space to work around and no possibility of erecting scaffolding on site, mast climbers were used to install the stone cladding. The effect of the sandstone finish combined with the height of the building ensures that it is perfectly integrated with its neighbours, while also having the scale – with circa 1,000 square metres supplied – to draw the attention of passers-by.