Most of us know something about Belfast’s new Loftlines development. But few of us realise the impressive scale of the project, or the ethos that will be driving it forward.

Loftlines is the £155 million 778-apartment development built on the River Lagan close to the iconic Titanic Belfast building.

But Loftlines is here to stay, and there’s no doubt that it sets new standards for the city. For starters, there’s the grand scale. 778 homes is a lot of housing. Then there’s the ethos which lies behind Loftlines.

Anthony Best, Managing Director of Lacuna Developments and the driving force behind the Loftlines development, as well as a number of the large student housing projects around Belfast, takes up the story.

“Loftlines won’t just be a big, landmark development. It won’t just be a catalyst to bring more people to city centre living,” he says. “It will be a way of life for those who live there, an independent social cluster and a community in its own right, with a creche, cafes, and independent retail on site.”

And that links back to Lacuna’s pedigree in student accommodation.

“Students spend years living in city centres, and it’s their generation that are driving the demand for city centre accommodation for professionals.”

The way of life theory is a bold claim, until you start to consider what Loftlines is all about. Firstly, it fits into the masterplan for Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, a masterplan which takes the area from a daytime zone to a 24-hour neighbourhood.

“Our vision has always been a mixed tenure scheme which will be a home in the city for its residents, allowing them to live, work and play in the heart of Belfast,” says Anthony Best. “Between £6 million and £7 million of the total investment in Loftlines will be going into public amenity projects which will complement, and significantly enhance, the already impressive maritime mile.”

Of the 778 homes within the Loftlines scheme, 627 will be build-to-rent (BTR) apartments owned by Legal&General, marking the first major venture here in Northern Ireland for L&G.

A further 81 apartments are earmarked for social housing and will be managed by the Clanmil Housing Association, with the remaining 70 apartments providing private and discounted rental offerings, through Watkin Jones, joint developer of the wider Loftlines project.

At the time of writing, according to Anthony Best of Lacuna, demand for and interest in Loftlines is high and continues to rise at pace as build work progresses.

The name, by the way, is a nod to the area’s maritime and shipbuilding history. Skilled ‘lofters’ at Harland & Wolff chalked the lines of ships on the floor in expansive lofts to allow steel to be cut to precise dimensions.

CGI images of how the finished Loftlines will look tell something of a story.

Specification is high, reminiscent of new generation, contemporary city living.

“The build-to-rent apartments willhave residents’ lounges anda gym, we’re investing in a fully-fledged play park, a riverside promenade and Loftlines will be completely pet-friendly....which comes as a bit of a surprise to some people. There will even be bookabledining rooms so residents can have larger gatherings with neighbours or visiting friends and family” says Anthony Best.

At full occupancy, the wider Loftlines development will accommodate approximately 1,700 residents. Residents within the build-to-rent apartments will benefit from a dedicated on-site General Manager providing resident services, managing lettings and building security.

BTR residents can choose flexible rental terms of between six months and five years, and the rental package includes broadband, access to the gym, and other residents amenities.

“I think we’ll see a lot of young professionals but it’s not just for them. I’ve visited similar developments in London, for example, where the age profile ranged from 20 to 91.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, sustainability will be a key theme. Loftlines will use green energy only – all electric heating with no fossil fuel sources – it is being built to BREEAM energy standards, it is triple glazed and it’s interesting to note that there will be limited resident parking reflecting the highly sustainable city centre location.

“We will have a car sharing scheme on site, offering ultra short-term rental, and space for e-bikes but we’re keen to encourage Loftlines residents to use public transport as often as they can,” Anthony Best says.

Loftlines is served by Translink’s Glider service, Titanic Quarter railway station is close by, the Belfast Bikes scheme is easily accessible too, and, in any case, it’s a relatively short walk across the river and into the city centre.

“As we say to everyone prepared to listen, Loftlines is a whole lot more than an apartment development. It is a new way of life in the heart of the city.”