May 10 2023

Aberdeen city centre is to gain 383 student beds under new plans filed by Halliday Fraser Munro on behalf of Levelling Up Real Estate.

The prolific local practice has taken on a site at 92-106 John Street to the north of the city centre for the purpose-built accommodation, previously home to the head office of Royal Granite Works.

Building on an earlier 2017 consent for 374 student beds the latest approach to the 0.4-hectare brownfield site sees the reinstatement of an urban frontage while establishing a seven storey 'urban marker' for the busy Woolmanhill Roundabout. To achieve this a courtyard block is planned, open on its northwest corner to provide daylight to the interior.

Outlining their design solution the architects observed: "... the massing has been effectively divided into distinct blocks utilising setback areas. The vertical dimensions of the west block have been adjusted to align with the neighbouring flats on John Street. A gradual progression of setback floors, rising an additional 2 stories, has been introduced.

"The corner urban marker has been differentiated from the main building structure through the use of building setbacks and changes in material. These design moves accentuate this particular element when observed from a distance along Denburn Road."

Combining grey-facing brick with standing seam metal the elevations include a feature folded metal panel between floors and above upper windows. 

2 Comments

#1 Posted by HMR on 10 May 2023 at 16:16 PM

What did Aberdeen do, to deserve all the garbage from HFM

#2 Posted by Low munton on 10 May 2023 at 17:41 PM

The trash that gets built in Aberdeen is unbelievable, particularly that designed by the highfalutin mundane crowd. Another potentially important site ruined by lack of ambition.

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