Two senior figures at IQ Accommodation have joined Beech Design & Build, with Dave Thomas joining as construction director and Hollie Buckle joining as senior development manager bringing the Oxford Road company to more than 140 staff. Thomas has spent 33 years in residential property development and for the past four years was development director at IQ. In his new role, he will manage the restoration of city-centre buildings into apartments for Beech.

Buckle was previously at IQ for a year as a development manager, and before this was a project manager at Greystar. She will be responsible for putting procedures in place to ensure the business is tracking and progressing new build projects.

The pair worked together on a number of schemes during the past six years including the Coupland building for The University of Manchester. Together they will be responsible for 30 people.

Managing director Andrew Cordwell said: “The appointments of Dave and Hollie symbolise Beech’s commitment to growth and their aspirations for future delivery capability.”

Thomas said: “The evolution of Beech Design & Build has been incredible of late and I’m very excited to be part of such an ambitious and sophisticated business.

Buckle added: “Beech Design & Build is unique in the fact that it develops everything in-house which sets them aside from more traditional developers by being more flexible and responsive to the market.”

Beech’s current projects include the development of 38 one and two-bedroom apartments in the grade two-listed Basil House building on Portland Street.

Read the published press release