Client Newcastle University
Sector Higher Education
Location North East
Value £72m
Park View Student Village is an exemplar of modern methods of construction, creating over 1,000 student bedrooms in under two years.
The project was commissioned by Newcastle University to replace the dilapidated Richardson Road flats, close to the university’s city centre campus. In all, 1,261 en-suite study bedrooms have been created alongside 10 studio apartments, across six blocks of varying height, as well as an energy centre and landscaping.
Speed was a crucial part of the build, prompting our design team to use pre-fabricated containers, imported from China, to provide the accommodation pods. Stacked in a cruciform lay-out, the containers included the bedrooms, kitchens and corridors attached to a core constructed in-situ and a traditional façade.
With around 800 containers used across the six blocks, an intensive logistic programme had to be developed to minimise storage time of the 13-tonne components, while making sure the benefits of the faster programme were maintained.
The scheme was delivered in a little under two years, compared to an estimated three-year build time if traditional construction methods had been utilised.
