Newsletter - Links - Advertise - Contact Us - Privacy
 

Office conversions meet insatiable student housing demand

September 23 2014

Office conversions meet insatiable student housing demand
Two redundant office blocks in Glasgow’s west end are to be converted into student housing as part of a £10m drive to meet growing demand for specialised accommodation.

Kier Construction will take the reins at Stewart House, Elderslie Street and Clifton House, Clifton Place, as part of a joint venture with Amber Infrastructure.

Stewart House will be converted into 51 studio flats offering en suite bathrooms and kitchen; laundry facilities; quiet common areas and a landscaped courtyard to the rear.

Its bigger neighbour, Clifton House, will provide a similar mix with 142 single bed flats with en suite bathrooms and communal kitchen accommodation; plus 71 studio flats with en suite bathrooms and kitchen; landscaped amenity areas; gym facilities; laundry facilities and quiet common areas on each floor.

Elder & Cannon Architects have worked up designs for both properties.

Brian McQuade, managing director of Kier Construction’s Scotland and north-east England business, said: “This project with Lysander Student Properties Limited is a fantastic opportunity for us to build on the expertise that we are developing in this sector, having completed several such developments in the last few years, including, most recently, the project in Dumbarton Road in Glasgow’s Partick district.”

Elsewhere Graham Construction recently began work on the conversion of another unlettable office block, 200 West Regent Street, which is being turned into student accommodation for the Glasgow School of Art to designs by Cooper Cromar.

3 Comments

Egbert
#1 Posted by Egbert on 23 Sep 2014 at 14:51 PM
Should that not read "funders' insatiable willingness to lend to student housing developers above all other sectors"?
Ross
#2 Posted by Ross on 24 Sep 2014 at 10:44 AM
I think it is a great idea. Reductant office blocks being transformed. Fantastic way to recycle a building - and hopefully during the process improve the dated facades.
Sven
#3 Posted by Sven on 25 Sep 2014 at 20:53 PM
Not sure how packing in 264 flats is a good thing. Student housing is not known to improve areas, if anything they cause more problems due to the transient nature of such accommodation. Instead of cashing in on students they should focus on 2-4 bedroom flats for general sale.

Post your comments

 

All comments are pre-moderated and
must obey our house rules.

 

Back to September 2014

Search News
Subscribe to Urban Realm Magazine
Features & Reports
For more information from the industry visit our Features & Reports section.