A 50-year Partnership
We began our partnership with the University of Essex in 2012, when the Uliving consortium (made up of Linkcity and Derwent Living) was established. Since then, we’ve refurbished 780 existing student rooms at The Quays and developed 648 new bedrooms at The Meadows.
The Copse, with its 643 new single ensuite rooms and studios, presents the latest addition to the University’s Knowledge Gateway, a research and technology park at the Colchester campus.
Behind the Design
The Copse is located on a greenfield site, and features a combination of 621 ensuite bedrooms, two accessible rooms and 20 studios. These are housed in two buildings which vary in height from six to seven storeys. The scheme also features 64 kitchens, a launderette, facilities management offices and cycle storage.
The buildings were designed in accordance with the University of Essex’s masterplan and the Borough Council’s Urban Design Framework. The project had very challenging timescales, with just over a year to develop and handover the accommodation to the University. Key to achieving these was the successful collaboration of all partners and the commitment and expertise of everyone involved.
Sustainably Built
Linkcity’s approach to sustainability underpinned the construction and continues into operation. We used sustainable construction techniques such as recycled shuttering, through to the incorporation of energy efficient fittings and water recycling systems, with day-to-day minimisation of waste achieved through careful management of site activities.
