The University of Gloucestershire appointed Cityheart as their preferred Strategic Development Partner to provide 500 student rooms in Gloucester City Centre across two phases.
Status
Completed
Location
Ladybelle Street, Gloucester
Value
£39.3m
PARTNERS
The topography to the site was sculpted to permit the restricted medium density massing within the sites centre and tiered towards the edges where proposals were immediately adjacent to the heritage assets. The elevations were designed to be sympathetic of the surrounding typography and roof scape whilst providing an outward facing perception, whilst operationally they were the opposite to provide privacy and intimacy.
Gloucester’s infamous Cathedral has numerous key views across the city which we needed to preserve. We demonstrated that the impact was zero through the provision of existing and proposed CGI’s and 3D massing. As a result of our early engagement, and sensitive design we secured an approval by Planning Committee in February 2017, within 24 weeks of appointment by the University.
In addition to the Listed Buildings and Conservation Area designation the site is also a designated Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) which required protection and minimal disruption. To meet these constraints a timber frame design was proposed for the four buildings within Phase 1 as the piled foundation design required was lighter and 50% less than an alternative solution. Furthermore the site levels were also increased where necessary, above the extremely shallow archaeological horizon, to mitigate against the sub terrain drainage requirements.
Since completion, Cityheart Living has managed, maintained and marketed the accommodation on behalf of its University partners Gloucestershire and Hartpury.
The completed accommodation in phase 1 supports the University’s relocation of their Business School from Cheltenham to Gloucester, as well as accommodating the future increase in student numbers as the University expands.
In phase 2 we delivered a further 198 student bedrooms in cluster flats layouts adjacent to the current operational phase 1 site. The rooms are split across two distinct blocks.
Over all phases our appointment was to design, build, finance and operate the completed developments for a period of 50 years. The Universities introduce students who have a requirement for halls in the city to Cityheart (through a soft nominations agreement) who then enter into individual tenancy agreements directly. Phase two completed in August 2023.
