A 1970s office building reimagined as a contemporary student community in the heart of Reading.
Client Global Student Accommodation
Project Role Executive Architecture, Interior Design
Scale 312 student bedrooms
Status Complete
Located within the wider regeneration of Exeter’s St James Ward, alongside improvements to Exeter City Football Club, this development forms part of a changing urban neighbourhood.
With full planning consent secured, we were appointed as Executive Architects to review and refine the approved scheme in line with GSA’s operational model and ambition to foster a stronger student community. The opportunity was to enhance usability, long-term value and everyday experience — without compromising viability or programme. We undertook a detailed design review, testing room layouts, bathroom pod configurations and circulation against ergonomics, efficiency and buildability.
The completed scheme spans six interconnected blocks of four to six storeys, delivering a balanced mix of en-suite cluster flats and self-contained studios to meet varied student needs.
Working closely with GSA, we developed a refined family of layouts that maximised usable space, improved joinery detailing and reduced future maintenance demands. Every decision focused on how students would live day to day — studying, cooking, resting and connecting. We also strengthened the communal amenity spaces, ensuring they felt generous, practical and welcoming.
Through careful refinement, the scheme now offers greater operational efficiency for our client and a more considered living environment for students. A consented design evolved into a more robust, people-focused place to live.
