Morriss House is a 705-bed development next to the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee Campus and has been designed for Unite Students, the UK’s largest student accommodation provider.
The innovatively designed scheme, which consists of 665 shared flats and 40 studio apartments, contains a wide range of net zero features including solar panels installed on the roof and air source heat pumps providing the building with all its energy needs.
The site of the development runs alongside the River Lean, a tributary to the River Trent, and the massing of the scheme has been carefully composed to mitigate the threat of flooding with openings between buildings while the building has also been lifted.
Green public realm, which includes a wild flower meadow and outside amphitheatre, connects the development with the river and creates an inviting natural space between the student accommodation and the nearby campus.
The aesthetics of the scheme reflects the established residential character of the area with contrasting but complimentary forms to the north and south of the site that have more prominent public-facing positions, each constructed from brick and metal to reflect the industrial heritage and wider residential palette.
The end blocks take a simple architectural form and are constructed with a light brick and have a simple ordered window condition and reveal providing a crisp engineered appearance against the brickwork, complimented by the vertical recesses and texted brickwork on the upper floors.
The blocks between these, which are designed around a large internal courtyard, are of a darker brick with black mansard roofs and chimney profiles, reflecting the changes in scale and orientation.
Within the building is a range of study and social spaces including a large open reception area that acts as a welcome hub for residents.
