This website will provide information about early plans for a potential hall of residence on the Avenue site, alongside the existing academic blocks. The University would welcome comments on the proposals via:
Plans for the site have been shared with staff, students and the closest neighbours. Once comments on the initial plans have been recieved an in person event will be held in the New Year to present more detailed designs. The date and location will be shared closer to the time.
To take a virtual tour of the Avenue Campus please visit our website.
Residential Strategy Overview
The University is the second largest employer here in the city of Southampton with a contribution to the regions’ economy of over £1.6 billion a year. As well as world leading research, the University provides jobs and facilities here in the city.
However the University is amongst the smaller members of the Russell Group in terms of student numbers and has ambitions to grow significantly by 2032.
To accomplish this growth without drastically increasing the pressure on private housing in the city, the University is embarking on a programme of halls of residence building across a number of sites. As well as Glen Eyre and Wessex Lane (including Stoneham), the University is also considering the Avenue Campus and would like to share plans for that site with local residents at this early stage
Why Avenue Campus?
Avenue Campus has been chosen as a potential site as our campuses are easily accessible by foot, bicycle and public transport. Consolidating our accommodation on University sites maximises efficient use of our land and reduces the pressure on other types of accommodation, such as Houses of Multiple Occupation.
This site is also being considered as the land is currently underutilised and building here does not require closure of existing halls. Providing bed spaces here will support the closure and refurbishment of residential blocks on some of our other sites.
Locations including the former Stoneham Hall site are also being worked on. However Avenue Campus site is the first to be presented for comment.
The Site - Design Development & Key Opportunities
The diagram below highlights the area of the site being considered for redevelopment. Construction in this area would require the relocation of the current tennis courts to another location on site.
This location benefits from a natural buffer zone from the planting that is already in place at the boundary. The University will also provide extra planting to increase this buffer, and during construction there will be sufficient site hoarding in place to help mitigate some of the construction noise.
Landscape Principles
The University landscape team currently manage the existing trees and planting on site. Recently a number of trees have been identified as suffering from Ash Dieback disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), some trees will have to be removed and replaced ahead of any potential building.
The landscape architect will take great care to preserve the existing trees on the boundary. Additionally, where necessary, new trees will be strategically introduced to fill any gaps. This not only enhances the aesthetics but also contributes to improved privacy for both the development and neighbouring properties.
Landscape Soft Materials
Building size and shape
The diagrams below show the current proposed buildings in relation to their surroundings. The red lines on the smaller maps show the line of sight displayed in each diagram.
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Parking
The University regularly monitors the utilisation of its car parks across the estate. At the Avenue Campus the car park is less than 50% utilised even on the busiest of days. It was also host to a COVID testing facility even after the site returned to regular use. The site retains car parking for staff based at this campus and five disabled spaces for students who require them.
Our students are actively discouraged from bringing cars to the University, this location is within
easy walking distance of our other campuses and features on public transport routes. We do not
anticipate this scheme bringing extra parking pressures to the site.
Building Design and Development
Design
The University understands the importance of creating high quality, sustainable halls of residence that meet the needs of our students and complement the character of the local area.
The site presents clear areas that could be developed, including the lawn close to the entrance of the site and the existing car park which is underused. The site benefits from natural screening provided by dense vegetation and mature trees along its southern and eastern boundaries, which will help to maintain a sense of seclusion and minimise visual impact.
Building Development
Massing Development
In the initial design phase, several options were explored. The first option aimed to maximise the development potential across the entire site, resulting in a dense scheme that would have required removing the existing tennis courts. However, following discussions it was agreed that the tennis courts, a valuable community amenity, should be retained.
The decision to re-provide the tennis courts had a significant impact on the available area, necessitating a more compact building footprint. To achieve the target accommodation numbers within this reduced space, a taller building form was proposed. The design evolved to ensure that the tallest elements (5 storeys) are concentrated towards the centre of the site, while the lower building sections (4 storeys) are positioned closer to the site boundaries.
The existing mature trees provide effective screening for these lower elements, helping to reduce the visual impact.
A laundry, gym and social space are currently planned for the South East corner of the site.
The landscape design will be carefully considered, with plans to reinforce and enhance the perimeter planting through strategic selection and placement of trees and shrubs, further softening the building’s impact on its surroundings.
Materials Choice
Whilst it is still early in the design process, our initial thoughts are for red brick buildings to mirror the existing building on the site and we are looking at architectural elements to mirror, helping the site to maintain its character wherever possible.
The new hard and soft landscaping will transform this area of the campus and the removal of parking will allow for a series of new and improved footpaths that connect into thecampus from Broadlands and Burgess Road.
New pedestrian friendly routes and cycle access, with adequate cycle parking and facilities within the new building, will support the University’s sustainable transport strategies.
The site is already served by regular UniLink buses, which stop on Burgess Road and at the Highfield campus interchange. Additionally, the NEQ will look to support the use of shared mobility solutions such as Beryl hire bikes and voi e-scooters through the integration of a mobility hub.
Servicing
The proposed servicing strategy involves the creation a servicing loop on Broadlands Road.
This will provide access to the site for emergency service vehicles, as well as allowing vehicles such as bin lorries to service the building without entering the site or parking on the road.
Building Design
The new building will be designed to meet BREEAM Excellent, which demonstrates the holisitic approach to sustanible development that has been integrated into project from the outset.
Design measures have been used to reduce the energy requirements of the new building.
– A high-performance building, which is well insulated and airtight, will reduce energy demands.
– The layout and design of the windows has been carefully considered to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. The window shades integrated into the building façade bring together sustainability and design elements.
– The potential for natural ventilation has also been maximised, reducing the amount of power used by the building.
Next Steps
Thank you for taking the time to read the early stage plans for development on the Avenue Campus.
We are at an initial stage of development and will be holding an in person event in the New Year, however early comments are easier to respond to within the design.
• Do you have comments about boundary planting?
• Would you like to share your comments on materials?
• Is the retention of the tennis court important to you?
• Do you have any comments on the location of the social space, gym and laundry?
• What other factors do you think we should be considering?
Please share your comments via:
We will review all comments and will be in touch to invite you to an in person exhibition in the New Year.
If you would like a printed version of this information please contact [email protected] with your address.