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Greener, sustainable buildings
We’re designing, constructing and managing our buildings to be sustainable, and provide a healthy, inspiring environment for those who work or live there.
Podcast
What sustainable construction looks like at Unite Students
What does a sustainable new development look like in practice right now, what solutions are there to key sources of embodied carbon, and what are some of the challenges being faced when it comes to building sustainable new developments?
Listen or read our full interview with Nicholas Pigula, our Sustainability Construction Manager below.
Featured property
Our greenest ever new-build property
Building work has started on Unite Students’ latest 271-bed property in Nottingham, which will have the lowest embodied carbon of any its new-build properties to date.
This is Unite Students’ first low carbon concrete project, also featuring high efficiency heating and sustainable cooling systems
With estimated development costs of £34 million, Bromley Place is designed to cater for postgraduate students from Nottingham’s two leading universities
Targeting BREEAM Excellent for all new buildings
September 2022 saw the opening of the latest properties in the Unite Students development pipeline. Campbell House, situated in the heart of Bristol, is on the site of a former Georgian hospital.
As part of the company’s commitment to sustainability, the site has been built with extensive solar panelling, as well as air source heat pumps. There is also extensive cycle storage – with enough space for residents and their guests to store a bike. The development has achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.
The property spans six storeys and provides beds for 431 students. It covers 109,000 sq ft, with investment totalling £45m.
The new accommodation provides a host of amenities for students, including a gym, cinema, karaoke room, dedicated study spaces, as well as indoor and outdoor social spaces. In addition to these amenities, which are provided as part of Unite Students’ value-for-money, all-inclusive offer, students will also benefit from onsite teams providing 24/7 support, as well as secure access systems and CCTV.
Making our buildings accessible and adaptable for everyone
We play a part. We have accessible rooms available in most properties. All our new developments have DDA bedrooms incorporating accessible shower facilities and areas as part of the design. We also able to retrofit rooms to deal with any additional needs and support visual or hearing impairments. In addition, service or support animals can be accommodated with prior notification.
Supporting health and wellbeing of building users
Adopting sustainable behaviours: The Group is committed to being a responsible and resilient business. We aim to achieve this goal by making our buildings more sustainable, buy 100% renewable electricity and report publicly on our activity in this area. As part of our student charter we encourage students to reduce their environmental impact by recycling waste, conserving energy and not wasting water.
We provide recycling bins in all properties, have a partnership with British Heart Foundation where items can be donated for recycling in the broader community and encourage students to think more broadly about their behaviours which impact on their fellow residents. In addition, all properties offer bike shed giving students the opportunity to embrace a more environmentally friendly mode of transport.
Protecting wildlife and nature on our properties
As part of our Positive Impact programme, many of our teams work to re-wild our sites for the benefit of our students, our staff, and our wildlife too.
We're lucky enough to have a wide range of diverse habitats across our sites that provide homes for some of the most exciting species in British wildlife… Badgers, foxes, deer, sparrowhawks and bats.
As part of our Positive Impact programme, many of our teams work to re-wild our sites for the benefit of our students, our staff, and our wildlife too.
We’re lucky enough to have a wide range of diverse habitats across our sites that provide homes for some of the most exciting species in British wildlife… Badgers, foxes, deer, sparrowhawks and bats.
Our team at Loughborough have been involved in allowing wildlife to thrive and our students to immerse themselves in the natural world with evidence that spending time in nature has an enormous impact on our mental and physical health benefitting our employees as well as students. Changes have included stopping the cutting of grass, sowing some wildflower seeds, letting the grass grow and cutting areas for students to sit. This provides a calm and safe space for students to study and relax in nature.
Find out more
Tackling climate change
Responsible use of resources
