Watkin Jones’ 33-storey scheme replaces taller student accommodation scheme
Cardiff council has approved plans for a 33-storey co-living tower designed by Rio Architects after the site’s developer scrapped proposals for a taller student accommodation scheme.
Watkins Jones secured consent in 2016 for a 42-storey tower containing 447 student beds on the Custom House Street site, also designed by Rio.
But the tower was never built and the pair returned last year with fresh designs for a shorter scheme containing 400 co-living units.
Approved by councillors yesterday, the majority of the building’s homes will measure 22sq m in floorspace with some accessible homes increasing in size to a maximum of 31sq m.
Residents will be offered the use of around 1,700sq m of shared amenities including a communal kitchen, lounge, gym and roof terrace.
The ground and part of the first floor would also contain a flexible co-working space and a podcast studio.
Councillors said the tower would stand out in the neighbourhood’s emerging context as a “prominent and confident piece of architecture, positively reinforcing the changing nature of the skyline in this part of Cardiff”.
The project team includes Jubb on civils and structures, Lichfields on planning, Tir Collective on landscape, Orion Fire as fire engineer and Applied Energy on MEP.
No comments yet