A team led by architect Terry Farrell & Partners has beaten off stiff competition to win Project Unity, the merger of Manchester University and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.
Farrell's rivals for the masterplan were Building Design Partnership, EDAW and Koetter Kim & Associates.

The £285m project will create the University of Manchester, bringing together 180 departments in four faculties. The universities are now spread out over two campuses, with more than 600,00 m2 of accommodation on 55 ha.

The masterplanning consortium, which includes engineer Arup and quantity surveyor Davis Langdon & Everest, will draw together the facilities at both universities.

These include laboratories, medical schools, specialist research facilities and teaching buildings together with residential buildings and student service complexes.

A masterplan for the university, including an estate strategy and implementation plan, is due to be presented in December after a consultation programme.