Zero-carbon scheme at the University of Hertfordshire to reach Breeam Outstanding level

A consortium involving Bouygues has won a £120m student accommodation job in north London.

The firm announced that the Uliving consortium, led by Bouygues Development and including Derwent Living, had won a contact to finance, design and build the zero-carbon 3000-room development for the University of Hertfordshire and operate it for 50 years.

The £117m scheme involves 23 buildings providing 3,000 student bedrooms, associated social spaces and a campus gym.

The timber-frame buildings will be “one of the most advanced” developments in the UK in terms of sustainability, according to Bouygues.

They will be equipped with their own ‘energy-production infrastructure’ based on a power and heat cogeneration system and will meet Breeam Outstanding requirements.

Madani Sow, chairman of Bouygues UK, said: “We are proud to be a partner of the University of Hertfordshire on this operation, which strengthens our leadership position on the student accommodation market, with 5,000 rooms currently under construction”.

The works will take three years, with the site remaining in full operation throughout construction.