Glyndwr University

An International open design competition for the development of 500 student residences on the Plas Coch Campus Wrexham. We approached the design with the aim of creating a community with a street pattern which leads from meeting place to meeting place and is interspersed with access locations, to allow points of orientation and social interaction. The residences are arranged in terraces of houses allowing flexibility for phasing as well to create a clear sense of identity and belonging.

This house design allows for all communal living spaces to be at ground floor level to give each house a lively ground floor function and help to provide natural security surveillance. Easy access for visitors separates the potentially noisier activities from bedroom areas and maintains security and privacy to the bedrooms at upper floors.

Modular bedroom units to help ensure the highest control of thermal performance and air-tightness together with ease of construction were proposed to create a student street of houses. Maximising energy efficiency, minimising energy consumption and then addressing the energy usage in a sustainable and cost effective manner whilst
maintaining a very high quality environment, based on passivhaus principles.