top of page
1/1
Location: Elmstead Place, Colchester
Client: Osborne
Value: £8m
Status: Completed September 2020
Elmstead Place
Located on the doorstep of the University of Essex, this 134-bed student village is made up of 7 and 9 bed town houses arranged around a landscaped green. The scheme combines the benefits of purpose-built student accommodation with the ‘family’ feel of a student house and offers friendship groups an alternative to the traditional HMO offering.
Each house contains en-suite student bedrooms and a generous communal kitchen and living room on the ground floor. A separate block includes 15 individual studio flats and additional student amenities such as student lounge, study spaces, laundry and reception.
The site sits on the edge of a village which influenced the decision to develop a ‘town house’ model rather than a typical layout of stacked clusters. The palette of materials was chosen to express a contemporary take on the local vernacular which is a mix of residential and agricultural styles. Inspiration was taken from the black cladding on the barns of a nearby listed farmhouse.
The design team chose a staggered block form to express the individual units. Each of the town houses has a traditional pitched roof with vertical black cladding and deep window reveals on the upper floors. A brick plinth has been used on the ground floor for robustness and recessed entrances provide further articulation and weather protection. Exposed rainwater goods add to traditional yet contemporary appearance.
The landscape strategy for the scheme aims to reflect the already natural feel of the site which is created by the existing mature hedges and trees. A simple pallet of native species and wildflower planting will deliver enhanced biodiversity, screening and a natural backdrop. The central green is grassed allowing students to spill out, relax and play games and several focal trees have been planted which will be become established over time. Formal ornamental planting beds have been installed along the ground floor of the town houses, which in time will soften the front of the buildings in time.
The scheme is a traditional build but ArchitecturePLB have recently worked with Osborne to develop a design guide and MMC kit of parts which will allow us to take this model onto new sites in the most cost-effective way and energy efficient way.
Project Team
To find out more about this project, please make contact.
Similar Projects
bottom of page