- Location:
- Brighton
- Services:
- Client:
- SE Properties LTD
- Sector:
- Residential - Student
The elevations of the main building are deliberately fragmented with a protruding articulated façade, over a unifying brick base. The varying heights and colour differentiation of the cladding strengthen this effect and ensure that the building appears to have developed organically. This helps to address the differing scales of the surrounding context, from 2-storey to 5-storey and breaks down the mass of the building giving it a vertical emphasis.
The new ‘gatehouse’ building creates a thoroughfare into the accommodation, where an existing gap in the terrace along Hollingdean Road was, with a building that announces the entrance to the courtyard and makes a positive contribution to the street scene in the area. Incorporating a unique entrance gate that was created in collaboration with a local Artist and craftsman, creating a positive connection with the existing community.
The project, split into two Phases for efficient delivery, houses three main blocks that all accommodate a range of Adaptable and Standard living units. The adaptable rooms cater for a wide range of future uses, with interchangeable fittings and a large Accessible bathroom making it adaptable to a variety of needs. A key consideration for the design was the use of prefabricated materials and modular WC units, which helped keep the design efficient, and cohesive, helping the project achieve a BREEAM Excellent Sustainability rating.
The design features large full-height windows into the Studio units, providing each room with natural daylight and making it a pleasant environment to live, work, and socialise. The project has a Sustainable design integrated through the application of timber cladding, green roofs and green walls. In addition to sustainable materials, the promotion of clean travel with multiple cycle stores enhances a design that encourages social interaction and promotes green living.
Offering natural light and enticing internal community connection, the landscaping of the courtyard softens and enhances the appearance of the site for the residents. It is designed to act as an urban ‘pocket park’ with permeable paving surfaces broken up with areas of shrub planting. Green ‘living’ walls feature in the courtyard to enhance the biodiversity of the site together with integrated boxes and bricks for Bees, Bats and Birds, providing a pleasant outlook for the students living here.
