No.1 Ancoats Green – Fostering Community
No.1 Ancoats Green is the first site to complete under This City, Manchester City Council’s housing development company.
Photography: Gavin Stewart
The scheme, by Manchester-based Buttress Architects, delivers 119 thoughtfully designed apartments across two buildings, comprise of 28 one-bedroom and 91 two-bedroom homes, along with 10 contemporary townhouses – 8 with three bedrooms and 2 with four – carefully arranged to overlook a revitalised and expanded Ancoats Green, strengthening both visual and physical connections to the heart of Ancoats. 30% of the homes will be made available at the Manchester Living Rent, ensuring that the development is affordable as well as high quality.
Jasper Sanders + Partners were appointed directly by Buttress Architects to design and deliver the scheme’s resident amenity spaces, which are located on the ground and first floors of Alabaster House, and to curate a cohesive interior specification for both the apartments and townhouses. The goal was to ensure a high-quality, unified living environment across the development, aligned with the project’s strong commitment to delivering meaningful social value with sustainable credentials.
Photography: Gavin Stewart
Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development, said:
“Completing No1 Ancoats Green is an exciting milestone for This City. I’ve been following the progress of this development from the beginning and it’s brilliant to start welcoming residents into their new, quality homes. With the newly refurbished Ancoats Green and the city centre on the doorstep, this is surely one of the most attractive developments on offer right now. And importantly, 30% of these homes are genuinely affordable and capped at the Manchester Living Rent meaning as many people as possible in the city can access them.”
Placemaking and Sustainability
Photography: Gunner Gu
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.
Architectural Approach
Photography: Gunner Gu
Ben Tabiner, Director at Buttress Architects commented:
“A key urban design aim was to connect the development to the surrounding neighbourhood and establish a relationship with the nearby Miles Platting and Ancoats Green. To achieve this, the apartment blocks are arranged on either side of a new green street, creating a strong connection across the site and encouraging movement through the area and beyond. The scheme’s material palette takes cues from the immediate neighbourhood of Ancoats, adopting a palette of red brickwork in complementary tones, whilst also recognising the transitional nature of the site.”
Amenity Interiors Approach
Photography: Gunner Gu
The amenity interiors were developed in direct response to This City’s overall brief, with the studio undertaking a detailed analysis of both ground and first floor layouts to accommodate the required functions. On the ground floor, a generously-scaled residents’ lounge – flooded with natural light – occupies a double-height space designed for lounging, casual coffee breaks, and informal social interaction. Above, the mezzanine level provides quieter, more focused settings tailored to home working.
These workspaces overlook the vibrant activity below and enjoy expansive views across Ancoats Green, reinforcing the interior’s connection to its natural surroundings. The result is a welcoming, healthy environment that encourages social interaction, fosters a sense of community, and feels both grounded and uplifted by its relationship with the landscape.
Photography: Gunner Gu
Rebecca Finney, Creative Director of Jasper Sanders + Partners, explained:
“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.”
A considered mix of stained timbers, metals, and woollen fabrics enhances the space’s tactility, with longevity and functionality central to its design. Together, these elements form an interior language that is both thoughtful and unexpectedly vibrant, while remaining closely aligned with the architectural character and broader context of the site.
Photography: Gavin Stewart
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.
Jasper Sanders, Director of Jasper Sanders + Partners, concluded:
“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.”