UK: Developer Curlew Capital has submitted a planning application to Camden Council for a 121-bed PBSA development on Britannia Street, located above the Thameslink tunnels between King’s Cross and Farringdon stations in London.
Designed by architecture firm Sheppard Robson, the project would transform a disused car park into new student housing with community facilities, pending council approval.
The Camden-based practice said the proposal seeks to address the growing demand for student accommodation in central London while overcoming a host of engineering challenges.
The site’s location directly over live railway infrastructure requires an inventive structural design, including deep foundations adjacent to the tunnels and a lightweight steel structure suspended above them via steel transfers. These techniques aim to ensure no additional load is placed on the tunnels themselves.
At ground level, the scheme includes 63.3 square meters of community space with priority access for local organisations, as well as student amenity areas and a green central courtyard. The development has been shaped by public consultation, with designers incorporating feedback from residents into the final layout.
Sheppard Robson partner Dan Burr said: “Our design proposals for Britannia Street demonstrate how technical challenges can drive inventive architectural composition. This scheme not only overcomes significant engineering hurdles but also enhances the conservation area and provides much-needed student accommodation.”
While the site is currently used as a surface car park, it also houses a redundant ventilation shaft dating back to the steam railway era. Developers say this will be carefully demolished, with plans to reuse the bricks at another heritage site.
Curlew Capital is a UK-based real estate investment manager specialising in purpose-built student accommodation and residential property, with a portfolio that includes PBSA schemes in Bath, Birmingham, Exeter, and Liverpool.
The planning decision now lies with Camden Council.
