Designed by architects Stride Treglown, Vine Court will have 710 student accommodation units, with a mix of en-suite study bedrooms, studio apartments, two-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom duplex ‘loft’ apartments. Constructed as two horseshoe-shaped buildings around a central courtyard, the development will also include a 250-seat restaurant and a cafe in the West Block and retail space, currently designed as three units plus a laundrette, in the East Block.
Varying between five and nine storeys, including a mezzanine level in the restaurant, the buildings will be made of concrete with a brick outer skin.
Ocon managing director Andrew Barker said that the project would “set a new benchmark for student accommodation both in the standard of specification and the emphasis on eco-friendly features”.
Sustainable features include a grey water system to provide water for toilet flushing, LED lighting for common areas, air source heat pumps, brown and green roofs, solar-thermal heating and integral natural habitats built into the brick work.
University of Liverpool director of facilities Steve Dickson said: “This scheme will be a flagship student residence for the University of Liverpool and will see the number of student rooms available from the university rising to above the 4,000 mark for the first time. Outside of term time the west block will be used for conference delegates and the whole scheme has been designed to hotel standards with a clear focus on environmental sustainability.
We needed a specialist contractor to undertake a development of this importance and we selected Ocon for their experience and reputation in the sector.”
The project has now started on site and is due for completion in June 2012, ready for summer conference delegates and the new intake of students for the 2012/2013 academic year.
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