House of Social

House of Social is a 14-storey student living development in Manchester, designed by Tim Groom Architects and delivered by main contractor Renaker and brickwork contractor PLF Ltd. As developer Vita Group’s first House of Social scheme at First Street, the project introduces a new approach to student accommodation, with shared five and six bedroom apartments arranged around large communal kitchen and lounge spaces, alongside extensive ground-floor amenities including a food hall, gym, and co-working facilities.

Renaker engaged with IG Masonry Support to deliver a masonry support strategy capable of accommodating wide and variable cavities, supporting stonework elements, and managing brickwork at multiple levels across a highly coordinated façade. Additional complexity came from the need to coordinate cladding interfaces, respond to detailed slab survey information, and maintain programme continuity above mast climbers on the 14-storey build.

We delivered a fully coordinated façade support package across the development, including 1,351 m of Welded Masonry Support, 18.7 m of B.O.S.S. A1 (Brick on Soffit System), six large Brick Slip Arches, 1,077 m of Cast-in Channel, 1,356 m of Reveal Support Plates, and 2,351 precision brick cuts completed at our in-house Brick Cutting Facility. Soffit Concealers were also supplied for the project, clipping directly onto our Welded Masonry Support angles to conceal soffit areas where brick soffit systems were not required. These were finished in colours specified by the architect.

Working closely with Renaker, PLF Ltd, and the wider design team, careful planning and sequencing ensured all systems were installed efficiently across changing cavity conditions, structural interfaces, and a fast-paced programme.

One of the primary challenges on the project was coordinating masonry support installation around the mast climbers. Renaker required masonry support to be installed above the mast climbers to maintain programme continuity, while varying cavity depths across the façade required adaptable design to suit each zone.

A further complexity arose at the first and top floors, where cavities of up to 300 mm below sections of stonework required our Welded Masonry Support to accommodate the increased cavity depth while simultaneously supporting the B.O.S.S. A1 (Brick on Soffit Systems).

Corners of the structure introduced additional difficulty due to higher structural loads and restricted geometry. Standard Welded Masonry Support brackets could not achieve the required structural performance while maintaining the clean corner detailing of the façade.

Two of the six arches supplied to the project at the eleventh floor presented a further consideration. As the arches were below slab level, there was no available fixing point for lateral restraint.

To allow brickwork to continue above the mast climbers without disrupting the programme, IG Masonry Support developed bespoke Welded Masonry Support systems that projected outward at the centre with additional gusset reinforcement to handle the wider cavity zones, while transitioning into standard details where cavities reduced. These systems helped accommodate the varying conditions across each elevation.

Where large cavities occurred beneath the stonework, combined Welded Masonry Support brackets were configured into a single detail capable of spanning the extended cavity while simultaneously supporting the B.O.S.S. A1 systems below.

For the high-load corners, the detailing team designed inverted Welded Masonry Support systems with additional gussets to meet the structural requirements while maintaining a clean, continuous façade across all corner conditions.

The two Brick Slip Arches at level eleven required a highly-bespoke Welded Masonry Support dropper system, fixed at the slab level above and coordinated around the existing masonry support. Each assembly dropped approximately 800 mm and featured a 5 mm stainless steel plate, which provided the lateral restraint point for the arches. This solution helped deliver a structurally robust and visually clean solution across all arch locations.

By delivering a fully integrated service covering design, manufacturing, brick cutting, and on-site coordination, IG Masonry Support reduced reliance on multiple specialist subcontractors and simplified delivery for the project team. The ability to resolve complex conditions – including large cavity zones, stonework interfaces, and installation above mast climbers – ensured programme continuity while maintaining design intent throughout.

Working closely with Renaker and the wider site team, a high-quality façade finish was achieved across all elevations. The result is a student living development that balances architectural ambition with buildability, delivering a consistent and well-coordinated external envelope.