LONDON: Gone are the days when university halls were synonymous with dingy digs.
The new wave of student accommodation could rival some boutique hotels. Developers are tapping into the market for luxury residences with bling blocks popping up around the country.
Take Vita Student (vitastudent. co.uk) properties. After originally opening in Manchester, they have branched out to five more cities – Liverpool, Bristol, Exeter, Sheffield and Southampton – with 100 percent occupancy. Future sites are being developed in Newcastle, Glasgow and York.
The en-suite apartments are high spec. Some include 40-inch smart TVs and designer fittings such as Smeg kitchens and electric hobs.
Each building has a shared film screening room, gym, communal study room, breakfast area and games room. Move-in weekends set the tone with a hotel-like check in process and a city information pack. Staff, many of whom have experience in the leisure/hospitality industry, know every resident by first name.
East London’s new Pure Aldgate opening (purestudentliving.com) features a 19-storey tower with a geometric façade that uses stone, terracotta and glass.
The highlight of the building’s facilities is a 19th-floor sky lounge, a common room for the building with spectacular views over London, a café and an outdoor terrace.
Architecture practice BuckleyGrayYeoman, which counts Fred Perry, the Office Group and Derwent London among clients, was enlisted for the project so there is a big design focus. Some of the rooms have views overlooking the city, with underfloor heating and kitchenettes part and parcel of the lifestyle.
Collegiate AC (collegiate-ac.com), which offers options in cities such as Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds and Southampton, has a similar focus.
Its Edinburgh property, Gateway Apartments, recently scooped a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Scotland Residential Award for its infrastructure.
The modern architecture against Edinburgh’s classic skyline caught the attention of judges.
Then there is Iconinc (iconinc.co.uk) in Leeds, where all-inclusive studio apartments have flat-screen TVs, smart storage solutions and punchy colour schemes.
Such plush surroundings come at a price and students can expect to pay upwards of £140 (almost R3 000) a week.
However, these rooms are filling up fast.
– The Independent