The demand
A recent report considered there to be a lack of purpose-built accommodation (PBSA) in Worcester, with the existing stock made up mainly of conversions, houses in multiple occupation (HMO) and existing halls[i]. With these low levels of vacant PBSA facilities in the city, the Images project aimed to provide modern rooms for the student population with this steel frame student accommodation solution.
With over 10,000 students at the University of Worcester, local plans to increase PBSA aim to reduce pressure on the on-street rental market in order to free up accommodation for families. Meanwhile, meeting the specific needs of students with purpose-built and managed schemes makes the city an attractive prospect to future learners.
Tackling this feeds directly into Worcester’s City Plan 2022-2027, which outlines the ambition for building a wide mixture of good quality housing provisions to suit the full range of needs[ii] and target growth for the city.
The project
The old Images nightclub site, demolished late in 2021, now houses the new seven-storey accommodation. The building comprises five self-supporting storeys of light gauge steel frame panels atop a two-storey concrete base.
The speed of construction was noticeable to onlookers, as the work took place over just 10 weeks – a reduction from the originally scheduled 12 weeks – and was noted as one of the reasons for the developers choosing LGSF for the project in the first place. The system also required fewer installers on-site at any given time, with the majority of the work completed by a team of three.
