Giles Lane, Canterbury

The redevelopment of the former Franciscan International Study Centre will provide 267 bedrooms of prime student accommodation located in the heart of the university district of Canterbury. The site is located north-west of Canterbury city centre, within an area dominated with residential, teaching and administrative buildings that are surrounded by green open spaces, fields and woods.

The site will include 4no. two and three storey buildings comprising student accommodation and associated communal amenity areas, together with the refurbishment and alterations to an existing accommodation block. The new build elements will deliver a careful balance of accommodation density whilst supporting the existing landscaping and local biodiversity, which includes a number of mature trees and long established and diverse ecology areas. These existing areas will be developed and enhanced to provide new courtyard public realms and soft landscaping to create interest and soften the edges of the development to support the local ecology.

A considered design approach ensures the contemporary new buildings reflect the existing character of the site, creating a collegiate style development where separate buildings are connected by landscaped areas providing valuable external amenity.

Photography: 56three