Heriot-Watt unveils new campus look

PLANS for a state-of-the-art student village at Heriot-Watt University have been unveiled ahead of building work starting later this month.

Work on the 14 million development is scheduled to begin on February 21 at the university's Riccarton campus, and will see the ageing 1970's accommodation blocks replaced by an attractive landscaped village.

A public square and gardens will sit at the heart of the new site and offer students a place to meet and socialise.

The residential blocks themselves have been designed to allow light to pass through the building from one side to the other. Some also feature raised bridges to also allow access to the first floors from the square.

The new development is part of a 26m project to develop new residences at Heriot-Watt's Edinburgh and Scottish Borders campuses, where 1970's residences are reaching the end of their useful life.

The new Edinburgh campus, which will have 277 bed spaces, will be built on the west side of the university's central campus as a further expansion of the West Student Village.

Both the Edinburgh and Scottish Borders Campus residences will comprise single rooms, each with en-suite provision, kitchens, lounges and ancillary facilities. Some of the rooms will be arranged as five-bedroom cluster flats, and the Borders residences will include some visitor accommodation.

Peter Kerr, director of estates at Heriot-Watt, said the new development would attract students to the university and provide quality accommodation for up to 50 years.

He said: "These new residences, the latest phase of the university's dynamic programme of investment to upgrade its estate, will be a major improvement to our student residences provision.

"They will replace buildings which are reaching the end of their useful lifespan with modern, attractive and welcoming accommodation with generous space standards and facilities, which are at the leading edge of market expectations.

"They are also designed and produced to last 40 or 50 years, utilising high-quality materials and specifications selected for their durability and reduced whole life costs."

Mr Kerr said that, as well as being aesthetically attractive, the new buildings have been designed to be as environmentally sustainable and energy efficient as possible.

He said: "The design also has environmental considerations and sustainability at its core.

"The designs have been created in consultation with not only experts in architecture, construction and energy/environmental management, but also with the staff who will operate and maintain them and, crucially, with students."