The Rossett – Apartments

Apartment development

3 week installation programme

System installer: John Southworth (Main Contractor), Metbuild Framing Solutions (Installer)

On Palatine Road in West Didsbury stands The Rossett – a once-grand building with more than 200 years of history. Once a familiar sight to locals, its charm had faded, and the structure no longer met modern standards for comfort, safety, or sustainability.

When Great Places Housing Group and Cube Homes Ltd set out to transform it into high-quality, energy-efficient homes, they turned to John Southworth – a company known for delivering complex projects with precision and care.

The goal: preserve the building’s heritage while introducing modern, sustainable living through cutting-edge construction methods.

The Challenge: Balancing Old and New

Transforming The Rossett required a delicate balance between preservation and progress. The scheme involved two major elements:

Refurbishment of the original main building, including full internal upgrades and restoration of period features.
Demolition and replacement of a rear extension with a new-build block of eight apartments.
The project faced the typical constraints of working on a tight urban site with an aging structure, while also needing to meet modern energy standards and a strict construction programme.

The development represented a joint investment of £3.6 million (£2.1m from Great Places and £1.5m from Cube Homes), with grant funding supported by Homes England and the GMCA Brownfield Housing Fund – demonstrating strong collaboration between public and private partners to bring underused land back into productive use.

The Solution: Building Smarter with Intrastack’s LGSF System

To meet the twin demands of precision and efficiency, John Southworth adopted a Light-Gauge Steel Frame (LGSF) system supplied by Intrastack for the new-build apartments.

This modern, pre-formed panellised approach offered several key advantages:

Speed of construction – rapid on-site assembly following off-site manufacturing.
Structural lightness, ideal for working alongside an existing historic building.
High accuracy and reduced waste through factory-controlled production.
Energy efficiency, contributing to lower operational costs and improved sustainability credentials.

While the steel frame structure rose quickly on-site, the existing building underwent a careful internal strip-out and upgrade. Services were replaced, insulation improved, and finishes renewed – ensuring the heritage element of The Rossett met the same modern standards as the new-build section.

Architectural design was led by GWP Architecture, with Sutcliffe providing structural engineering expertise. Together, the team delivered a design that blends traditional aesthetics with contemporary performance.

The Results: Delivering Quality and Community Impact

The Rossett is now a flagship project for Didsbury – one that blends character with modern comfort.

The development includes:

16 apartments: 8 refurbished in the historic building and 8 new-build units using Intrastack LGSF.
3-week build programme for LGSF installation.
Affordable and market rent homes, fostering a mixed community.
Outstanding site recognition from the Considerate Constructors Scheme – scoring 43/45 for excellence in community, environmental, and workforce standards.
Energy-efficient design, with reduced embodied carbon and lower running costs for residents.
Overall project completion set for January 2026 (17-month timeline).

“Intrastack supplied a MMC solution for this incredibly tight site, adopting a bespoke solution they fully understood the challenges the site represented, unlocking the site’s potential whilst providing a robust, high quality and efficient light gauge steel frame that reduced programme, reduced bespoke engineering and reduced cost.”– Steven Brown, Managing Director, John Southworth

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Modern Regeneration

The Rossett demonstrates how modern construction technology can successfully coexist with heritage restoration. By using Intrastack’s LGSF system, the team has accelerated delivery, improved build quality, and reduced environmental impact.
The result is more than just new homes; it’s a rejuvenated local landmark that reflects Didsbury’s evolving character – a place where the past and future meet, built by a team committed to innovation, collaboration, and community.

“We have been very impressed with the LGSF solution. From design to completion the experience has been faultless; demonstrating to our client our commitment to MMC and showcasing a professional, and very impressive structure that’s been met with a robust design and installation. We look forward to working with Intrastack again in the near future.”

– Steven Brown, Managing Director, John Southworth

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