Leading construction firm GRAHAM has commenced work on a new £59m student accommodation at Loughborough University. The contractor marked the project milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony on the site, located in the Central Park area of the campus, on Tuesday 5 May.
The event brought together representatives from Loughborough University, GRAHAM and the wider project team, including Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University; James Henry, Project Board Chair; Mia Jackson, President of Loughborough Students’ Union; and Ronan Hughes, Regional Director at GRAHAM.
The new purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme will provide 552 bedspaces across five accommodation blocks of up to six storeys. It responds to growing demand for high-quality, self-catered accommodation on the University’s East Midlands campus.
The scheme will include en-suite accommodation, shared study and social spaces, communal amenity areas, sub-warden accommodation, a new plant block, utilities and associated external works. The use of air source heat pumps and photo voltaic panels have been incorporated into the project’s energy strategy.
The buildings will be set within landscaped surroundings, creating a welcoming space for students to meet, study and socialise.
The development follows planning approval from Charnwood Borough Council and forms part of Loughborough University’s long-term accommodation strategy, to increase on-site residence options.
Ronan Hughes, regional director at GRAHAM, said:
“Breaking ground marks the transition from planning to delivery on a development that will make a meaningful contribution to the University’s campus and student experience.
“Our team brings significant experience in delivering complex accommodation and education projects, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Loughborough University and our project partners to bring this development to life.”
Graham Howard, Director of Estates and Facilities Management at Loughborough University, said:
“We’re delighted to get this hugely important project underway. The new hall will provide our students, both those already studying with us and those who’ll join us in the future, with high quality accommodation alongside shared space for them to study and socialise, at the very heart of our campus.”
Construction is now underway, with completion scheduled for late-summer 2027, ahead of the academic year beginning.