University Partnerships Programme (UPP) has completed its sustainable student accommodation scheme at the University of Kent’s Woolf College in Canterbury, Kent.
The ‘Eco-Residence’ scheme comprises 544 rooms, and was built by Mansell Construction Services, and will be occupied by postgraduate students. It also includes a 500-seat lecture theatre.
It consists of study bedrooms arranged in flats of six to eight rooms, plus enhanced bedrooms, self-contained studios and disabled access rooms.
It was built using highly insulated, air tight timber panels sourced from sustainable, managed forests, to reduce its carbon footprint.
The timber frames were manufactured offsite in order to minimise waste. Energy-saving systems have also been installed inside the building.
UPP will manage the residence, while the University will liaise with students regarding accommodation allocation, room licences and all pastoral matters.
Professor Julia Goodfellow, vice-chancellor at the University of Kent, said: ‘The new accommodation is an important part of our new approach to postgraduate teaching and research.’
Sean O’Shea, chief executive at UPP, said its ‘Eco Residence’ model will allow students to ‘really understand how sustainable living works’.
He said: ‘Today’s higher education arena is extremely competitive, so it is vital for UK universities to provide top-quality facilities for their current and future students.’
