A contemporary student village shaped by community at every scale, from room to neighbourhood.
Client Balfour Beatty Investments and Royal Holloway, University of London
Project Role Masterplanning, Design, Interiors
Scale 1,400 student bedrooms
Status RIBA Stage 4
Royal Holloway set out to create a new student village on a former industrial site beside its historic campus — not simply to provide accommodation, but to foster community, wellbeing and belonging.
Appointed to support Balfour Beatty Investments through a competitive DBFO process, we worked closely with university stakeholders to embed their aspirations into the vision, securing our appointment as preferred bidder.
The brief called for 1,400 new student homes supported by high-quality amenity. Although adjacent to campus, the site’s physical separation presented a clear challenge: how to strengthen connection while creating a distinct place that supports everyday student life.
Connecting to the main campus.
Community layering concept.
A modern village framework.
We designed the village around a clear hierarchy of spaces – from intimate courtyards and shared clusters to the vibrant Market Square at its centre. Each layer supports a different scale of student life, creating opportunities for both social energy and quiet retreat.
A new footbridge provides a safe, direct connection to the main campus, aligning views towards the Founder’s Building and encouraging everyday movement between the two. From here, The Avenue acts as a social spine – a contemporary high street linking key amenities – while the Linear Park forms a green artery connecting lake, landscape and retained heritage buildings.
A hierarchy of routes and spaces.
The linear park.
Arriving at The Avenue high street.
A contemporary village language.
A key challenge in developing the architectural approach to the buildings was to balance a University aspiration for a playful language with a solution that was appropriate for the sites greenbelt context. We developed an approach that drew inspiration from traditional towns and villages. Varied rooflines, defined corners and subtle shifts in material create identity and aid wayfinding. A restrained brick palette responds to the greenbelt setting, while carefully applied colour reinforces hierarchy and character across the site.
At the heart of the masterplan, The Place anchors the Market Square with a light, transparent pavilion that blurs the boundary between inside and out. A dynamic colonnade extends into the landscape, drawing the public realm into the building. Above, a distinctive roof form and cohesive use of colour connect it to the wider masterplan, while glazed terracotta sets it apart as the village’s focal point.
A hierarchical approach to defining architectural elements.
Creating a dynamic Avenue streetscape.
The Place; activation of the Market Square.
Amenity at the heart of village life.
The village offers a range of inclusive amenity spaces that adapt to the varied rhythms of student life. The Market Square forms the social heart, where rather than concentrating activity in a single building, we distributed amenity around the square, activating key frontages and creating a lively, village-like focus throughout the day.
The WeStudy provides an alternative place to study whilst The Place, café, lounges and social club open directly onto the Market Square and Linear Park, allowing spaces to expand and reconfigure for teaching, private study, conferences or large-scale events.
Wellbeing is equally embedded. A fitness suite overlooks the park, while the restored Greenfield House becomes a calm Wellness Centre with Multi-Faith facilities — ensuring the village supports a diverse and evolving student community.
Amenity spaces activating the Market Square.
The Place Cafe
Social Club
Fitness Suite
Laundrette
WeStudy
Flexible Study / Conference / Banqueting
Defining the Student Rooms
Budget Single
Standard Single
Premium Single
Deluxe Self Contained Studio
Deluxe Self Contained Sharer
Community by design
The result is a connected, inclusive student village delivering over 1,400 new homes within a landscape-led setting.
Market Square provides a flexible stage for everyday gatherings and large events, while courtyards and green spaces offer quieter moments of calm. Dedicated study areas, wellness facilities and social spaces ensure students are supported academically, socially and personally.
By weaving together connection, landscape and identity, we have created more than accommodation. We have shaped a place where students can belong – a modern village designed to enhance everyday life on and beyond campus.
Sun setting over village life
