Abandoned office block to be converted into £42m student flats
An artist's impression of how the new student accommodation will look at St Crispin's House - Credit: Contributed
The city skyline will undergo a dramatic transformation after a £42m contract for a new 684-bed student accommodation block has been granted.
St Crispin's House in Duke Street is a 1970s office building which was abandoned after once housing The Stationery Office.
But now construction giants McAleer and Rushe has been awarded a contract by Global Student Accommodation to strip out the building and completely transform it.
The work is expected to help meet the growing demand for student accommodation in the city with thousands currently unable to access purpose-built halls across in Norwich.
McAleer and Rushe will also be constructing additional floors to create a seven-storey building as well as a five-storey extension to the rear of the building.
Students will benefit from new accommodation at St Crispin's House in Norwich - Credit: Contributed
St Crispin’s House will provide a mix of accommodation made up of studios and cluster flats with all rooms coming with en-suite bathrooms.
Common rooms, a gym, a multipurpose event room, study spaces and a laundry will also be included in the property.
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A large courtyard with cycle spaces and electric vehicle charging points also form part of the plans.
St Crispin's House, Norwich. Photo: Steve Adams - Credit: Archant
Mark Elliott, contracts director at McAleer and Rushe said: "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.”
There is expected to be strong demand for the student accommodation with 17,000 students studying across the city at the University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts.
And the development is projected to be delivered by the summer of 2023.
An aerial shot of St Crispin's House in Duke Street - Credit: Archant
James Childs, UK construction director at Global Student Accommodation said 63pc of full-time students are currently unable to access university or purpose-built student accommodation in Norwich.
There have been a series of applications to convert the office space into student accommodation in recent years.
