UK: Unite Students has begun the construction phase of the £185 million Hawthorne House PBSA development in Stratford, east London.
Located in Farthingale Walk, Stratford, the project is replacing a former office block called Jubilee House, which has been demolished. It will open in time for the 2026/27 academic year.
The 36-storey property includes a 65,000 square foot sixth-form academy, the London Academy of Excellence, over eight floors, which will be in place for an initial 35-year term.
Unite Students is using a fabric first approach, which means the design of the building optimises the materials being used in its construction to give better energy efficiency, such as maximising air tightness and solar gain.
The development’s embodied carbon saving is 9,770 tCO2e (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) over 60 years, which exceeds the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge baseline. These are voluntary performance targets for operational energy use, water use and embodied carbon.
Tom Brewerton, group development director at Unite Students, said: “Unite Students is leading the purpose-built student accommodation sector in London and Hawthorne House will be a unique offering in the capital. Our rental offer remains very competitive when compared to alternative forms of student accommodation and we are confident our fixed-price, all-inclusive rent provides real value-for-money for our customers. Hawthorne House will offer high quality bedrooms, social and study areas, and will be home to a sixth form academy. It shows Unite Students’ commitment to deliver high quality student accommodation using sustainable methods. We look forward to furthering our relationship with both University of the Arts London and the London Academy of Excellence.”
