Fusion Students Manchester, Deansgate South

Designing marketable fitness and wellness spaces for a 534-bed PBSA tower in central Manchester

Biofit was appointed to design the fitness, wellness and active-use spaces for Fusion Students’ Deansgate South Manchester (DSM) scheme, a 27-storey, 534-bed Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) development on one of the main routes into Manchester city centre.

The building represents a prominent new addition to the Deansgate skyline, with active frontage at ground and mezzanine level and circa 640 m² of amenity space across those levels.

Biofit’s scope focused on the leisure component: creating a set of spaces that would support physical fitness, wellness, mindfulness and recovery, while also acting as a visible and marketable part of the student living offer.

This project is a strong example of Biofit’s work in the PBSA sector, where gym and wellness spaces are not secondary amenities but part of the core leasing and brand proposition.

Modern orange brick office building with large glass windows, a gym visible inside, and people walking on the sidewalk in front of it. Several cars are parked along the street.

We combined fitness planning, interior design language and strong visual identity to create a distinctive PBSA amenity package. Render credit: Fusion Manchester

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Project overview

Client: Fusion Students
Project: Deansgate South Manchester (DSM)
Location: Manchester, UK
Sector: PBSA / Student Living
Architects: C&W (led by Chris McCurtin)
Construction: Domis
Project type: Gym, functional gym, holistic studio and wellness arrival spaces
Development scale: 27 storeys / 534 beds
Biofit scope area: 190 m² / 2,045 sq ft across 4 areas
Areas designed: Gym, functional gym, holistic studio and lobby / arrival space
Stage: Concept through technical design intent, with construction and handover support anticipated in the consultant scope

The brief

Fusion Students wanted more than a standard student gym.

The brief called for spaces that could be used autonomously and safely on a 24/7 unmanned basis, while also being flexible, highly marketable and aligned with the wider design language of the scheme.

The leisure spaces needed to support:

physical fitness
wellness and mindfulness
recovery and relaxation
social interaction where appropriate
forward-looking technologies for mental wellbeing
a visible, innovative health and wellbeing USP facing Deansgate Street

The client also required sustainability-conscious materials and FF&E, with the overall development targeting BREEAM Excellent. Fire compartment limits of under 100 m² also shaped the planning logic.

Scope and spatial strategy

Biofit’s scope covered four distinct areas:

Zone 1: 84 m² / 904 sq ft
Zone 2: 51 m² / 549 sq ft
Zone 3: 39 m² / 420 sq ft
Lobby: 16 m² / 172 sq ft
Total: 190 m² / 2,045 sq ft

This separation allowed the project to deliver different modes of use rather than forcing everything into one generic room.

Our design approach

Biofit’s response was to create a more differentiated wellness and fitness offer for student living, with each space playing a distinct role.

1. A visible wellness identity

Because the brief emphasised marketability and street-facing visibility, the design needed strong visual character. This is reflected in the CGI concepts, including the “Movement Matters” neon sign, warm terracotta tones, bold black ceilings, feature lighting and clearly branded zones.

2. Separation of training modes

The project distinguishes between a more conventional gym, a more performance-led functional gym, and a more restorative holistic studio, allowing the student experience to extend beyond standard cardio and weights.

3. Hospitality-influenced student amenity design

The spaces were treated as part of the broader interior identity of the building, not as back-of-house utility rooms. Lighting, finishes, curtains, planting and decorative elements were all specified as part of the same design exercise.

CARDIO, STRENGTH & FUNCTIONAL TRAINING GYM

Fusion Students Manchester cardio gym design by Biofit

Cardio-focused gym space for Fusion Students Manchester, designed to create a more visible and marketable fitness amenity within the PBSA scheme. Image credit: Fusion Students render.

The gym zone was conceived as a more accessible cardio and selectorised training space, using full-height glazing, warm-toned flooring and a stronger visual connection to the street-facing frontage.

The functional gym, by contrast, was given a darker and more performance-oriented identity, with rubber performance flooring, free weights, racks and strength-focused layouts.

reclaimed American pine wall cladding to the functional gym
back-lit, wall-mounted, smoked glass mirror panels
black painted soffits and services
aluminium skirting and other robust detailing for durability

This created a more layered student fitness offer, moving away from the generic “single room with mixed equipment” model seen in many PBSA schemes.

HOLISTIC STUDIO

Indoor yoga or meditation studio with mats, bolsters, and props arranged for practice, featuring exercise equipment in the background, potted plants, and modern lighting fixtures.

The holistic studio introduced yoga, stretching and softer recovery-led activity into the wider student wellness offer.

Render credit: Fusion Students

One of the most distinctive parts of the project is the Holistic Studio. The client brief explicitly called for spaces dedicated to mental and physical recovery, as well as technologies that could support wellbeing.

Our design response translated that into a studio environment for yoga, stretching, mindfulness and softer group activity, with a more atmospheric and less gym-like design language.

Design features include grouped pendant globe lights, a vibrant wall colour and streaming screen for video content.

This was an important move for the overall project because it allowed the wellbeing offer to feel broader and more current for the target demographic.

OUR ROLE

This was not just an equipment specification exercise. It was a full specialist design role within a larger PBSA project team.

The consultant scope for the leisure designer was broad and included:

briefing and stakeholder workshops

confirmation of gym and wellness operational requirements

equipment layouts and specification
development of interior personality and mood boards
concept design with plans, elevations, CGIs and material boards
spatial coordination with the wider design team
technical design intent drawings
finishes plans, schedules, lighting and reflected ceiling plans
FF&E, equipment, signage and decorative element schedules
construction-phase liaison, RFIs, snagging and handover support

With Manchester, we wanted to integrate suggestions of the area’s industrial past, connecting with the ground floor social area aesthetic as well as the building facade colour.

– Matt Aspiotis Morley

Material palette & interior design language

Fusion Students Manchester - gym interior design - material sheet - Biofit

The material palette played a major role in shaping the identity of the scheme by integrating:

natural clay plaster
transition reclaimed timber wall cladding black ceilings and trims
rubber gym flooring with acoustic underlay
full-drop curtains

This combination helped the spaces sit comfortably within the wider amenity design language while still giving the gym and studio areas a recognisable identity of their own.

The clay plaster and timber choices were also aligned with the client’s requirement for sustainability-conscious materials and a more future-facing offer.

Lighting, mood and marketability

Fusion Manchester - gym and yoga studio - general arrangement by Biofit interior consultants

Lighting was clearly treated as part of the project’s commercial and experiential logic, not just as a technical requirement.

The lighting plan includes:

dimmable decorative ceiling lights
wall lights
ceiling raft lighting
track lights on black ceiling-mounted trusses
feature studio pendant lighting
the custom “Movement Matters” neon sign
concealed AV and scent-system integration

This supports the brief requirement for spaces that are highly marketable across social media, websites and print.

It also reflects an understanding that student amenity spaces now need to perform visually as well as operationally.

Services provided by Biofit

Biofit supports projects at different stages—engaged either for full scope (including interior design) or as a specialist advisor alongside an appointed design team.

Frequently Asked Questions

A specialist leisure-space design package for the Deansgate South Manchester PBSA scheme, covering the gym, functional gym, holistic studio and lobby arrival zone.
Biofit’s direct leisure-space scope covered 190 m² / 2,045 sq ft across four defined areas.
The client wanted an innovative health and wellbeing USP visible from Deansgate Street, but without using the half basketball court format employed in previous schemes.
Yes. The design included a gym, a separate functional gym, a holistic studio, and a lobby / arrival space to support wellness and recovery as well as fitness.
It shows how student wellness amenities can be used to strengthen market positioning, not just satisfy a baseline amenity checklist.

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