Sparkford House- Stelling Properties

Project Details

Project - Sparkford House - Unilife

Sector - Residential

Technology - Volumetric

Company - Stelling Properties

Project Overview

The project is located in Winchester for a client that runs a number of PBSA properties, one of their strong points of difference over their competitors is location of their properties. For this project the location is less than 50m from the University of Winchester, in a built up residential area, the site had limited storage and road access. To deliver the project quickly, to limit the disruption to neighbours, to minimise the number of road clousures and offset the need for storage whilst maximising the return from the site, Volumetric Construction was considered to be the best solution to overcome the operational considerations on the project.

In addition to the reduced project duration, the client has experienced quality issues on developments using traditional construction and it was felt that standardised modular construction would address these concerns.

The unique arrangement of studios and common areas was designed to that contribute to the student experience and the creation of a community rather than simply
providing accommodation. The scale of the building was developed carefully to relate to its location and maximise the objectives of the brief. Overlooking was a key  consideration which was mitigated by integrating oriel windows into the top floor modules. This creates a window seat in the rooms whilst directing views towards a park. A 4 storey atrium brings natural light into the deepest parts of the building and into the corridors whilst augmenting the sense of scale the large common areas bring to building in contrast to the cellular studios.

The colour and appearance of the brick slip façade was chosen due to its use on the nearby university buildings. The use of brick creates a relationship between these and the residential properties of the neighbourhood. Timber cladding was used to the top floor setbacks to soften the building against the park, help broker the transition  between the university and the residential neighbourhood and as the development is on a steep hill, continue the steeping effect on the surrounding architecture.

The project is a 99 bedroom PBSA building, with large communal areas, including a Gym, Music Room, Study Areas, Central Kitchen, TV Room and large socialising areas.