Fostering Community
No.1 Ancoats Green is the first completed scheme by This City, Manchester City Council’s housing development company. Designed in collaboration with Manchester-based Buttress Architects, the development delivers 119 thoughtfully crafted apartments across two buildings – 28 one-bedroom and 91 two-bedroom homes – alongside 10 contemporary townhouses, including eight three-bedroom and two four-bedroom homes. Each is carefully arranged to overlook a revitalised and expanded Ancoats Green, strengthening visual and physical connections to the heart of Ancoats. With 30% of homes offered at the Manchester Living Rent, No.1 Ancoats Green combines high-quality design with truly affordable living.
Jasper Sanders + Partners were appointed by Buttress Architects to design and deliver the scheme’s resident amenity spaces, located on the ground and first floors of Alabaster House, and to develop a cohesive interior specification for both the apartments and townhouses. The aim was to create a high-quality, unified living environment across the development, reflecting the project’s commitment to meaningful social value and sustainable design.
Sector | Social Housing
Completion | 2025
Client | This City | Manchester City Council
Operator | Pinnacle Group
Awards | Winner of ‘Build-to-Rent’ Development of the Year at Insider Awards 2026
Placemaking and Sustainability
The project forms part of a broader public realm strategy that positions Ancoats as a low-carbon, sustainable neighbourhood, with a strong emphasis on active travel, walking, and cycling. Essential to the design is ensuring that the development contributes to Manchester’s 2038 Zero Carbon ambitions by providing well-insulated homes that will lower energy costs for residents. An extensive landscape scheme and a significant number of new trees have been planted as part of the placemaking public realm works, whilst the townhouses also include a parking space with electric vehicle charging points, and private gardens to the rear.
“Completing No.1 Ancoats Green is an exciting milestone for This City. I’ve been following this development from the start, and it’s fantastic to begin welcoming residents into their new, high-quality homes. With the newly refurbished Ancoats Green and the city centre on the doorstep, this is surely one of the most attractive developments available right now. Importantly, 30% of these homes are genuinely affordable, capped at the Manchester Living Rent, ensuring as many people as possible in the city can access them.”
Cllr Gavin White | Manchester City Council
The project is part of a wider public realm strategy that positions Ancoats as a low-carbon, sustainable neighbourhood, with a focus on active travel, walking, and cycling. The development supports Manchester’s 2038 Zero Carbon ambitions by delivering well-insulated homes that reduce energy costs for residents. As part of the placemaking works, an extensive landscape scheme has been implemented, with a significant number of new trees planted. The townhouses also benefit from private rear gardens, dedicated parking spaces, and electric vehiclecharging points, creating a thoughtful and sustainable living environment.
The amenity interiors were carefully developed in response to This City’s brief, with detailed analysis of both ground and first-floor layouts to accommodate the required functions. On the ground floor, a generously proportioned residents’ lounge, flooded with natural light, provides a relaxed space for lounging, casual coffee breaks, and informal social interaction. The mezzanine level above offers quieter, more focused areas, designed specifically to support home working.
“The interior scheme draws inspiration from the wildflower gardens of Ancoats Green, visible through the amenity’s two-storey glazed façade. Subtle, grounded hues evoke a sensory connection with the surrounding landscape. The palette is warm and inviting, yet purposefully avoids predictability through distinctive tonal combinations – rich claret, soft cornflower blue, buttery cream, and shaded taupe with undertones of khaki.”
Rebecca Kelly | Creative Director
No.1 Ancoats Green marks a vital milestone in the evolution of affordable housing in Manchester, setting a new benchmark for future development. As a key urban connector between the neighbourhoods of Miles Platting and Ancoats Green, the project helps to establish a richer, more vibrant sense of place for the local community. Beyond its architectural and urban contribution, it is rooted in the ambition to improve the everyday lives of the individuals and families who will call it home.
“We wanted the apartments to feel instantly warm and safe, somewhere to settle. The amenity space though brings a more expressive energy – a calm hub with places to focus, connect, or simply breathe. It’s a great place to live.”
Jasper Sanders | Founding Director
