NESTBLOK x LOFT

The layout of rooms in student accommodation hasn’t changed significantly in the last 60 years, despite significant changes in technology, the profiles of students, and the ways in which they study/are assessed as part of their courses.

Over the last 2 years, we’ve been working with the Property Marketing Strategists to rethink the future of Student Accommodation. Property Marketing Strategists have surveyed students and universities, as well as developers and operators within PBSA to better understand what makes for a great experience in student accommodation.

We subsequently took part in a round table discussion, held at LOFT in summer 2023. Property Marketing Strategists facilitated this session, which included architects, developers and operators, and saw a comprehensive discussion of the results of the survey, and an ideas sharing session for what the resulting findings may mean for a future concept room.

The findings challenge the received wisdom of UK student accommodation – students are happy to share rooms (more in line with the US and Europe), providing that they have a private en suite bathroom and an amount of privacy within the space. They also reflect a need for a smaller desk (likely driven by changing technology), more (and more flexible) storage, and more flexible space that allows for private exercise space within the room (driven by an increasing focus on wellbeing).

For the last 12 months, we’ve been working with A Designer At Heart to bring this vision to life. This design has led to the manufacture of the physical Super Studio at Ayres Road, and its digital twin, which will be showcased in the igloo at UA92 during The Class Conference.

This represents genuine innovation, sets LOFT apart at thought leaders in the space, and lets us present something genuinely novel to the marketplace.