Designer digs: the new wave of luxury student accommodation

Dingy digs are a distant memory. These days students are living the dream in designer pads with smart TVs and underfloor heating
Smart students: this shared space has been kitted out by interior designers
Amira Hashish23 September 2015

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 college residences with bling blocks popping up around the country.

Take Vita Student (vitastudent.com) properties. After originally opening in Manchester, they have branched out to five more cities – Liverpool, Bristol, Exeter, Sheffield and Southampton – with 100 per cent occupancy. Future sites are being developed in Newcastle, Glasgow and York.

Designer student pads

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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.

Some of the rooms have spectacular views overlooking the city

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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 per week. However, where there is demand there is supply and these rooms are filling up fast.

See our Lifestyle Lowdown magazine here. Follow @amiranews​ for more.

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