Cookstown’s McAleer & Rushe awarded £42m student accommodation contract

Designed by Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson, the development will retain the existing structure of St Crispin’s House, but will be fully refurbished and extended and constructing additional floors to create a seven-storey building. A five-storey extension to the rear of the building is also included within the development.

St Crispin’s House will provide an attractive mix of accommodation comprising studios and cluster flats, with all rooms generously sized with en-suite bathrooms. The property also provides 9,500 square ft of internal communal space, with high-quality facilities including common rooms, gym, multi-purpose event room, study spaces and laundry, as well as a large external courtyard, cycle spaces and EV charging points. The development is projected to be delivered by Summer 2023 and will be operated by Yugo, GSA’s global operating partner.

The contract award represents the fifth partnership between McAleer & Rushe and Global Student Accommodation, which included the award-winning Catherine House development in Portsmouth.

Mark Elliott, contracts director at McAleer & Rushe, said: “We are delighted to be appointed to transform this significant site in in Norwich city centre and to work closely with Global Student Accommodation, once again. In delivering a facility tailored to the evolving needs and expectations of the city’s students, we will also be sensitively restoring and conserving a derelict building in a sustainable way for future generations. By retaining the existing building structure with a large section of the roof level designed as a green roof, this major new development will be a visually impressive and an exciting new addition to the city’s vibrant community mix.”

James Childs, UK construction director at Global Student Accommodation. added: “St Crispin’s is an exciting development in the vibrant university city of Norwich, and we are delighted to be working once again with McAleer & Rushe to create an outstanding living experience for our students.”

The property is well situated to serve students from the University of East Anglia, one of the UK’s top 25 ranked universities, and Norwich University of the Arts. The property is set to benefit from strong demand for student accommodation from the two universities’ 17,000 students, with 63% of their full-time students currently unable to access university or purpose built student accommodation in Norwich.

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