Student residences will be 'among the best in the UK'
New student accommodation at the University of Hull will be “among the best in the country,” a director at the University has said.
The £30m development, which is currently under construction on the Cottingham Road campus, will eventually be home to 560 students.
With six months to go before the first students move in, the University has released photos showing what life will be like inside the accommodation.
The photos were taken in a full-size, replica model created by one of the sub-contractors and show one of the standard rooms in the development, which the University has also revealed will be called The Courtyard.
Trudi Vout, Director of Campus and Accommodation Services at the University of Hull, said: “This is going to be among the best student accommodation in the UK.
“We have gone with a very subtle interior design palette with a Scandinavian look and feel using light wood and pale finishes.
“We have tried to make the rooms as big as we can, so there’s lots of space and storage. The shared kitchens are bigger than average, with both cooking and a dining living space, where students can work and socialise.
“Up to 30 people can dine together at any one time in the communal kitchen. There is space to show movies and a games room. It’s also very secure with controlled access and reception that will be manned 24 hours a day.
“We have done an awful lot of research and the design matches the best of what we have seen.”
Hull-based Sewell Construction is the main contractor on the development.
Martin Standley, Project Manager for Sewell Construction, said: “The accommodation is going to be first class. The standard of the finish and the quality of the products being used will help the university stand out among its rivals.”
The Courtyard consists of five separate accommodation blocks based around two central court yards.
The majority of the development will be taken up by eight-bedroom clusters with a communal kitchen and dining space. There are also 20 deluxe rooms, 28 self-contained one-bed apartments and six wheelchair accessible flats.
The one-bedroom apartments have a double bed, fitted bathrooms and kitchen facilities and a balcony with views over the campus and city.
Ms Vout added: “The partnership we have developed with Sewell Construction has really added to the quality of this development.
“The last time we built any accommodation was 1995. It’s a good investment because it’s a long term commitment to the quality of our student’s lives here at the University of Hull and will still be occupied 35 years from now.”
The student residences are part of a £200m investment at the University, including campus infrastructure, new facilities, student services and ICT.
Within walking distance of The Courtyard, the University will be investing millions of pounds in new sports facilities, including a new floodlit outdoor pitch, gym, fitness studios and sport hall.
A topping out ceremony to mark the half way stage was held last December and interest in the accommodation from current and prospective students is already high.
Ms Vout added: “We already have applications from 50 continuing students to move in next year. On open days, they are the most talked about accommodation by students and parents.”