Unite Students has announced a £24m refurbishment scheme for three of their properties-Station Court in London, Oak Brook Park in Birmingham, and Bridge House in Edinburgh
A Unite Students refurbishment scheme will upgrade energy efficiency at three properties, as well as creating new amenity spaces.
Station Court in London, Oak Brook Park in Birmingham, and Bridge House in Edinburgh, will see improvements to bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens, designed to improve the student experience and include new social and study spaces.
£9.1m will be spent on 319-bed Bridge House in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh
The students will gain a new reception entrance, additional study spaces, a cinema room and other social spaces.
Smart-controlled hot water cylinders will help cut energy use, alongside upgrades to the building fabric including cladding improvements, new external render, plus a full window replacement. An extra shower room will be installed in every flat.
The work will be completed by the start of the 2023/24 academic year, transforming the building both internally and externally.
Solar panels are being installed at Station Court in Tottenham
Accommodation work at the 225-bed property, close to Seven Sisters station, will begin in September and complete by the end of 2023.
A new amenity space will follow in 2024, with solar panels installed to generate renewable electricity on site, as well as smart controls on hot water and heating systems, totalling £5.7m of work.
Selly Oak’s Oak Brook Park will see £9.2m of refurbishment works
Works include a full refurbishment of the reception, kitchens, 375 bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms.
Eenergy efficiency measures such as solar panel installations, LED lighting, heating and hot water cylinders are part of the planned works, due to complete by September.
The second phase of work, to the 281-bed block situated across the road, is due to take place in 2024.
The refurbishments are part of Unite Student’s aims to achieve net zero
“The refurbishment projects announced today are key to enhancing the student experience and will also make a significant contribution towards Unite Student s’ goal of net zero carbon across its operations and developments by 2030.
“We’ve placed particular emphasis on spaces for residents to interact and study – which will make a real difference to day-to-day student living in these key locations. These refurbishments follow on from major works carried out in Manchester last year and highlight our continued commitment to providing students with a Home for Success.”
You can learn more about the energy efficency of smart control heating systems here.
