Morgan Sindall Construction’s Thames Valley business has completed construction for the first phase of the redevelopment of Clive Booth Student Village at Oxford Brookes University, opening up 342 en-suite rooms for the new academic year.
Appointed through the Southern Construction Framework, Morgan Sindall has built high quality clusters, featuring eight to ten bedrooms per flat, a shared kitchen, and double beds, with accessible bedrooms also available as part of the redevelopment.
The accommodation site is positioned next to the University's Headington Campus and just a 20-minute walk from the city centre. This close proximity helps reduce the number of students in private rental accommodation, contributing to efforts to manage local housing demand.
In coordination with Oxford Brookes University throughout every step, the team completed accommodation blocks with fire doors, sleek vinyl flooring, extensive storage, and large, open communal areas, welcoming Oxford Brookes students to enjoy modern living spaces. Morgan Sindall delivered all sectional completions ahead of time and achieved practical completion on 6 September 2024.
This allowed Oxford Brookes’ students to make the new Fir and Damson buildings their home for the start of the 2024/25 academic year, following the earlier opening of the Elm Building in January 2024.
As part of the internal fit-out, Morgan Sindall partnered with RAW Furniture and architects Mica to provide sustainable furniture for students, including 80 benches and tables for communal kitchen areas, where every tabletop and bench seat are made from 100% recycled materials, using plastic from domestic fridges.
Additionally, RAW’s Recycling Service collected construction offcuts from the site, repurposing 50% into new products or reselling them to the local community, with Morgan Sindall purchasing upcycled office chairs and picnic benches for their own use.
Throughout the project, Morgan Sindall generated social value within the community by creating 98 local jobs, delivering 5,604 weeks of apprenticeships, 46 weeks of work experience, 13 hours of career support sessions, and 448 hours of educational sessions.
In addition to offering experience on-site, Morgan Sindall generated over £50,000,000 of local economic benefits, significantly boosting the regional economy.
In line with Morgan Sindall’s Intelligent Solutions approach, the team utilised prefabricated bathroom pods, precast stairs and columns on-site, building all the other elements of the development in-situ around these features. This project also marks the first ever development for the University where sprinklers have been used.
During construction, Professor Sir Clive Booth was the guest of honour at a special ceremony unveiling a foundation stone bearing his name. Professor Sir Clive Booth, after whom the accommodation site is named, is a former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University.
James York, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “It’s been a huge honour to see this project come to life. The way the team has coordinated with Oxford Brookes University has shown a true feat in collaboration, and the results speak for themselves.
“The project team has created a real community for students that not only boosts the University’s offering but also enhances the lifestyle of students living in the village, where a fresh, modern feel awaits them.”
Mark Tugwell, Deputy Director of Estates at Oxford Brookes University, said: “The transformation of the Clive Booth Student Village site is providing high-quality rooms and social spaces for our students within a picturesque setting near to our Headington Campus. It will also benefit the local community by reducing pressure on the Oxford housing supply by allowing more students to live in excellent student accommodation on our estate.
“We quickly developed a successful relationship with Morgan Sindall which endured throughout this project. This strong partnership and commitment to making improvements for the University and its community was exemplified over the summer when Morgan Sindall took the initiative in painting the adjacent nursery on the site as a free gesture. We were delighted with their efforts in minimising disruption, completing the project on time and in constructing new accommodation which our University and students can be rightly proud of.”
