The housing crisis is a topic that’s difficult to avoid in the current political climate.
Decades of underbuilding, coupled with a growing population and changing household structures, have left us with a painful shortage of homes. If you look at the current estimates, England alone needs around 300,000 new homes every year to keep pace with demand, but we haven’t hit those numbers since 1970.
North of the border, the situation is similar. Proper’s ‘Housing Supply for a Growing Economy’ report suggests there’s a current backlog of homes, estimated to be over 100,000 since 2008. This is noted as a real risk which is derailing planned investment opportunities across Scotland.
Every year we fail to hit the numbers required, the shortfall just gets bigger and bigger.
While housing policy debates swirl around planning reform, greenbelt protection, and design standards, there’s one factor that sometimes gets overlooked: density.
If we’re going to build more homes, we can’t just build outwards; we have to build upwards and inwards too. That’s where the challenge – and the opportunity – lies.
For engineers and designers, density is both a problem to be solved and a tool to be wielded. If we can reimagine the way we use urban land, we can find new ways to layer homes and infrastructure intelligently.
This is something that our Continental neighbours have been doing better than us for years. From Copenhagen to Madrid, urban centres are home to density that’s both high quality and community-focused. That approach to density is something we should be looking to replicate in the UK. But why does it matter and how can we do it our way?
Why density matters
Density done well isn’t about cramming people into tiny flats. It’s about creating places that work harder, support more life, and reduce pressure on our environment. Cities that are denser – when thoughtfully designed – have shorter journeys, more active streets, and a better balance of homes, services, and green spaces.
From an engineering perspective, increasing density brings a series of technical challenges:
- Structural demands: Taller buildings mean more complex loading patterns, more demanding foundations, and a need for materials that can work harder.
- Fire safety and building services: Higher density requires smarter compartmentation, better fire engineering, and integrated M&E systems that don’t compromise safety or comfort.
- Ground conditions: Brownfield sites often come with legacy structures, poor ground conditions, or contamination. All of which require creative solutions and robust structural design.
- Sustainability and energy: Denser places can be more efficient, but only if they’re designed to work holistically. Typically, this will involve integrating passive design, renewable energy systems, and low-carbon materials into the equation.
Getting density right means threading all of these considerations together. Yes we need to tick regulatory boxes, but a huge part of good design is about creating places that work for generations to come.
Manchester’s embrace of height and density
Manchester is a prime example of how a city can reimagine itself through density. Over the past 15 years, Manchester has evolved into to a modern city with a distinctive skyline. This hasn’t happened by accident. Rather, it’s a product of policy, ambition, and engineering solutions that have unlocked new possibilities.
The city’s leadership has actively supported taller buildings in the right places, particularly around the city centre and key regeneration zones. This proactive stance has created a fertile environment for ambitious developers and a clear signal to engineers: push the boundaries of what’s possible, but do it well.
A few examples from our work in Manchester
We’ve had the privilege of being part of some of the amazing work going on in Manchester. Here’s how some of our flagship projects showcase the power of density and the role of engineering in realising it.
Viadux, Castlefield
Viadux stands as an example of what can be achieved on challenging, highly constrained sites. The 40-storey tower rises directly above the historic railway viaduct arches. Structurally, this required an approach that respected the viaduct’s heritage while delivering modern performance.
Our team worked to develop a structural transfer system that carefully navigated the heritage structure below, while ensuring the tower above was both elegant and robust. Engineering here was about unlocking density without sacrificing heritage – a balancing act that reflects the best of urban regeneration.
The end result was 370 new apartments in an urban brownfield setting that to many seemed undevelopable.
Obsidian, Trinity Way
Obsidian is a confident addition to Manchester’s growing cluster of high-rise residential towers. Rising 26 storeys, its slender form required careful structural articulation to deliver both stability and visual lightness.
Key to the success of Obsidian was the engineering of the lateral stability system, enabling slender floorplates and generous views without compromising performance. The project also showcases how density can be achieved with grace, responding to the urban grain of Trinity Way while contributing to Manchester’s contemporary identity.
St Michael’s
St Michael’s is an ambitious mixed-use scheme that blends high-rise residential, hospitality, and public realm improvements. Engineering such a complex project demanded not only technical rigour but also close collaboration with architects, planners, and stakeholders.
Our role was to provide structural solutions that enabled the project’s ambitious height while integrating seamlessly with the existing urban fabric. This required deep understanding of how to deliver density in a live city centre context – addressing wind loads, dynamic behaviour, and construction logistics in a tight urban brownfield site.
Waterhouse Gardens
Waterhouse Gardens is a fantastic example of modern, community-focused city-centre living. Featuring a cluster of mid-rise residential towers that balance density with green space and liveability, the engineering challenge was to create a framework that would allow for generous communal gardens, active ground floors, and flexible housing types.
Our work focused on efficient structural systems that maximised usable floor area while creating inviting, human-scaled spaces at street level. Built on the grounds of the now demolished Boddington’s Brewery, the site had been unoccupied since the brewery’s closure in 2005.
Demonstrating that where there’s a will, there’s a way, this project is delivering high-quality homes on a brownfield inner-city location that’s been vacant for 20 years.
Lessons from Manchester’s approach
Manchester’s success in delivering density rests on a few key pillars:
- Proactive policy: A supportive planning framework that embraces height and density where it makes sense, rather than treating it as a last resort.
- Clear vision: A willingness to invest in high-quality urban design, recognising that density is about placemaking, not just numbers.
- Collaboration: Rather than working in silos, engineers, architects, developers, and the city work together to make density work.
- Engineering ambition: Developers and council leaders recognise that taller, denser buildings aren’t simply scaled-up versions of low-rise ones; they require bespoke technical solutions.
What can Glasgow learn from Manchester?
Glasgow has a real opportunity to embrace greater density, but it must navigate a series of political, planning and technical challenges. Here’s how the landscape is evolving, and where engineering can help drive progress.
Policy and politics: creating confidence for development
In recent years, investment in high-density housing, particularly in build-to-rent and PRS, has been hindered by rent controls and political uncertainty in Scotland. Developers have looked more favourably at cities like Manchester and Salford, where policy has been more predictable and supportive.
That picture is starting to shift. The Scottish Government is now reviewing rent control policies, with a third stage of consultation underway. At the same time, Glasgow has approved a new tall buildings policy which recognises the role height can play in reshaping the city when it is delivered in the right locations.
If reforms improve investor confidence while maintaining social responsibility, Glasgow can open the door to more ambitious housing projects.
Understanding the engineering constraints and challenges
Not every site in Glasgow is suitable for taller buildings. Heritage considerations, complex ground conditions and proximity to listed assets all play a part in determining what’s possible. Any proposal that could affect historic townscape needs to be backed by rigorous analysis, including townscape and visual impact assessments.
There are also practical challenges to overcome. Deep basements on tight city centre sites are often unviable due to cost, carbon impact and complex temporary works. Flood risk and surface water management also need early consideration to provide long-term resilience.
That said, Glasgow has many sites where good engineering can unlock greater density without compromising the city’s character.
A clearer vision for Glasgow
Manchester has shown what’s possible when planning frameworks are aligned with a clear city vision. By identifying areas where height is appropriate, encouraging high-quality design and backing mixed-use developments, the city has delivered both homes and economic growth.
These schemes have created new 24-hour neighbourhoods that blend residential, commercial and leisure uses, all supported by strong public transport connections. Glasgow can adopt a similar approach, focusing on sustainable growth, well-located density and long-term value for the city.
The role of engineering and renaissance
Building taller presents technical challenges that require smart, efficient structural solutions. Engineers must consider environmental forces, reduce embodied carbon, maximise lettable space and support quicker construction programmes to meet market expectations.
At renaissance, we’ve delivered a wide range of tall buildings in Manchester. We understand the specific requirements of these projects, from lateral stability and wind control to site logistics and material efficiency. Glasgow can benefit from this experience as it explores new ways to grow its housing stock and strengthen its urban core.
“Glasgow has huge potential to build taller, but the context is everything. Heritage, townscape and the city’s grid layout all introduce real complexity. The new tall buildings guidance is a positive step, with a welcome emphasis on design quality over prescriptive rules. If we can bring planners, engineers and architects together early, we can unlock height in ways that respect the city’s character while meeting its future needs.”
Nick Walker, Director, Iceni
The future of city centre housing
There are challenging years ahead for the industry as we continue to grapple with the housing targets. There are still many questions to answer and problems to find solutions to. However, whatever the future of house and home building looks like, increased density is going to play a big part, especially in urban brownfield locations where space comes at a premium
Manchester’s story shows that the challenge of engineering greater density can be met with creativity and collaboration. With housing needs so acute, every city in the UK must find its own path to density, navigating the regional challenges unique to each place. For Glasgow, this is a journey we have to embrace with open arms.
We believe in engineering-led solutions that respect the past, meet today’s demands, and lay the foundation for tomorrow. We’re ready to work with partners across the UK – from Glasgow to Manchester and beyond – to create the homes of tomorrow.
