Plans to refurbish Faraday House, a vacant university building in Salford, have been approved, clearing the way for its conversion into office space for university staff.
A main contractor will be appointed following the grant of planning consent. Construction work on the 3,500-square-metre site is scheduled to begin later this year, with completion expected in early 2028.
Architectural designs produced for the scheme show an updated modern exterior featuring a refurbished frontage alongside redesigned interior spaces.
The plans incorporate new public-facing green space around the site, dedicated bicycle storage facilities and a reconfigured entrance designed to improve access from street level. Architecture firm PRP designed the overall scheme, with interior design managed by OBI and landscape design planned by Planit.
The building sits on The Crescent, a major thoroughfare running through Salford. Originally constructed in the 20th century as an office block, the site was previously occupied by the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers before being integrated into the University of Salford’s campus estate. It served as administrative space and housed the university’s finance department for several decades, but has remained vacant in recent years as operations were consolidated elsewhere.
This project forms one component of the broader £2.5bn Crescent Salford masterplan, a 240-acre regeneration framework designed to redevelop research, teaching, residential, and public spaces across the area.
The masterplan is being delivered through the Crescent Partnership, a joint initiative comprising Salford City Council, the University of Salford, and development consortium ECF, a joint venture formed by Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse.
Mark Wantling, chief infrastructure officer at the University of Salford, confirmed that securing planning permission allows the institution to bring an established building back into active use while providing updated working space for administrative teams.
The redevelopment runs alongside several other university infrastructure projects, including a new Acoustics Building and the Thrive Health and Wellbeing Centre, both scheduled for completion in 2027.
