Chips
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Alsop Architects' Chips
Christian Richters (website) Download Original
Residential component of New Islington Estate redevelopment masterplan, orientated to align with nearby Ashton Canal
New Islington, is situated between the Ashton and Rochdale canals on the northern edge of Manchester City Centre.
Commissioned by Urban Splash in 2002, Chips was inspired by three fat chips piled on top of one another. The building comprises three equal-height, long, thin new build masses approximately 100m long by 14m wide stacked and staggered upon one another creating an elevated ground floor and eight levels comprising 142 one, two and three bedroom apartments.
The building is clad in a composite wall faced with a cladding covered in newspaper print with text that echoes the industrial heritage of the Ancoats area.
The scheme achieved a BREEAM Eco-Homes Excellent rating, conforms to the Manchester Methodist Housing Trust scheme's stringent development standards and also meets the Sustainability guidelines as set out by the UK Homes and Communities agency as part of the 'millennium community' programme.
Data
- Begun: Jan 2006
- Completed: Jan 2009
- Floor area: 16,200m2
- Sector: House
- Total cost: £20M
- Tender date: Nov 2005
- Procurement: JCT management contract
- Address: New Islington, Manchester, M4 6DL, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Alsop Architects
- Project architects: Bonny Yu, Caroline Koo, Duncan Macaulay, Edward Norman, Will Alsop
- Client: Urban Splash
- Main contractor: Urban Splash Build
- Structural engineer: Martin Stockley Associates
- M&E consultant: Quartzelec and Fulcrum
- Quantity surveyor: Fenton Partnership
- Access consultant: Fulcrum Consulting/ WW
- Lighting consultant: Pinniger & Partners
- Landscape architect: Grant Associates
- CDM coordinator: Rawlings Consultancy Services Ltd