Bristol-based student accommodation specialist Unite has completed a £2.3m refurbishment of Waverley House, its city centre development and home to 217 students from the University of the West of England.
The facelift of the waterfront accommodation was carried out with Bristol and West-based suppliers including Britannia Construction with Cablecom, Multi Alarm, and Circuit providing specialist fit-out services.
The 15-week project took place in two phases. Phase one involved refurbishing 208 existing shared flats and reconfiguring the property’s communal areas.
The updated ground floor layout now includes a common room, laundry, bicycle racks and a self-contained reception area.
The second phase transformed empty spaces into nine studio apartments with bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms.
The project follows a similar £2.7m refurbishment of Favell House and Transom House in Bristol city centre last year.
Unite’s Bristol operations manager David Murtagh said: “The demand for student accommodation in Bristol is high and we’re always looking to raise the bar when it comes to the quality of our properties.
“We had a series of tight deadlines from the onset. Thanks to strong project management and an excellent roster of regional suppliers, we managed to complete the project in time and on budget.”
UWE accommodation services manager Viv Jowett said: “The results of Unite’s Waverley House refurbishment are phenomenal. Any of our students would be delighted to be placed there.”
Unite employs 253 people across its city centre headquarters and 13 student properties in Bristol which are home to almost 3,000 students – approximately 10% of the city’s student population.
The company works closely with local suppliers and in partnership with higher education providers UWE, University of Bristol (UoB) and Bristol Institute of Modern Music as well as local language schools.
