Castle Leazes Student Village is poised to serve as a new gateway to Newcastle University, offering significant benefits to students and the environment alike in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Challenge
The project responds to the growing demand for high-quality student housing across the UK and Europe, replacing an ageing residence with a new 2,009-bed community tailored to the needs of today’s students. The design needed to balance increased density with sustainability and a sensitive relationship to the surrounding landscape.
Solution
As Lead Architect, working with Newcastle University and Unite Students, our team conceived a mini-campus centered around a pedestrian street and a network of courtyards that support both quiet study and social interaction. The development includes a variety of accommodation types, study and meeting spaces, games rooms, a gym, and bookable function rooms. Brick-clad buildings ranging from four to nine stories create an intimate residential character while strengthening connections to the city center, campus, and green spaces.
Outcome
Targeting Net Zero Carbon in Operation, the project will be entirely gas-free, utilizing electrification, onsite power generation, and air source heat pumps for hot water generation. Overlooking the protected public green spaces of Leazes Moor and Leazes Park, the development will stand as an example of sustainable design in higher education.
Replacing an ageing 1,247-bed student residence, the development will deliver 2,009 beds to help address growing demand for high-quality student housing.
