Sturry Road is situated between a busy thoroughfare in central Canterbury and the Stour River within convenient walking distance to the city’s three Universities. Inspired by Canterbury’s World Heritage architecture, Sturry Road benefits from a well-defined placemaking strategy with three types of external spaces – public realm, private courtyards, and communal amenity areas – and supporting Canterbury’s town centre regeneration.

Currently in development, the design puts student wellbeing front and centre with accessible spaces for socialising and learning, including a cinema, gym, communal kitchen, games room, and study spaces that combat loneliness. A range of bedroom types are available to cater to students’ varied needs and budgets, including ensuite rooms, standard studio rooms and premium studio rooms.

BPTW drew on local architectural precedents and listed buildings to design the scheme’s detailing and material palette. The dual-tone brick facades in yellow-buff and black are a familiar sight in Canterbury and bring a visual hierarchy to the new elevations that distinguish the communal spaces from the residential areas. Brick bays created by projecting brick detailing and soldier courses divide the new facades and provide a visual appearance similar to local street frontages.

The scheme is fossil fuel-free and uses a variety of fabric-first and energy-efficiency measures to reduce carbon emissions, including green roofs that also enhance bio-diversity net gain, PV panels and air source heat pumps for energy generation, and greywater recycling and a wastewater heat recovery system. The new landscaping draws inspiration from the river-front setting, and the combination of native planting and trees offers students lush communal gardens and secluded courtyards for different social activities.