UK student accommodation provider Unite Students is investing £75 mln (€87 mln) in the construction of a new 600-bed student housing facility in Bristol.
The Marsh Mills development, built by RG Group, will be situated adjacent to the University of Bristol's upcoming Temple Quarter campus, close to Temple Meads train station. Half of the rooms have been pre-let to University of Bristol students through a long-term lease.
The property, granted planning permission for 596 beds, is scheduled to be operational for the academic year 2025/26.
Employing a 'fabric first' approach, the building has minimized operational energy consumption by integrating energy efficiency considerations from the design and construction phases to the manufacturing, transportation, installation of materials, and throughout the building's operational life. The implementation of air-source heat pumps and solar panels further contributes to energy efficiency.
Notably, the PBSA scheme achieves a significant embodied carbon saving of 7,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) over the building's lifecycle, meeting the 2025 targets for embodied carbon set by the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Climate Challenge for new residential buildings.
Tom Brewerton, group development director at Unite Students, said: ‘This development is further evidence of Unite Students’ commitment to delivering new supply of high-quality student accommodation in cities where it is needed most. Marsh Mills will have a low-carbon impact on the environment and will be built and open in time for the start of 2025/6 academic year, adding to our portfolio in the city and contributing to the much-needed regeneration of the Temple Quarter and St Philip’s Marsh area of the city.’
Situated at the heart of the largest regeneration projects in the UK, the property will feature communal amenities such as study spaces, a roof terrace, a gym, and secure cycle storage.
