A contractor has been appointed to take on a challenging housing scheme along the canal in Nottingham.

The Boulevard Wharf project will see 76 student accommodation studios built on a 11-metre wide site near the city's canal. The studios will be spread across three buildings providing views over the canal and towards the city of Nottingham. Designed by MAS Architecture, the scheme will also feature high-spec communal areas, including an on-site gym and movie room.

Stepnell has signed on to take the project forward, which will see the firm utilise a kayak as part of the team's emergency rescue procedure, meaning that any items that inadvertently fall into the canal can be retrieved.

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Shaun Moses, site manager for Stepnell, said: "It is certainly one of the more unusual sites we've worked on. Along with the obvious issues that come with building so close to the canal edge brings, the overall site is just 11 metres wide, meaning that day-to-day operations must be very carefully managed.

"With incredibly tight boundaries and the buildings themselves designed to fill the entirety of its footprint, the site is a real challenge, but the team has worked closely with the developers from an early stage to create a solution that is workable and allows the whole operation to run smoothly."

Tom Sewell, East Midlands' regional director at Stepnell, commented: "The story of this site is really one of collaboration. Our team worked extensively with the client through the design development process in order to design and manage a project that met a high standard in terms of appearance and finishes – all while working to the budget and the challenges the site provides."

(CM/MH)