A major regeneration project to convert two long-empty office buildings into stylish student homes has been completed – the latest schemes to add to the transformation of the city centre.
Bristol-based developer Urban Creation sold the site last year to London Stock Exchange-listed student property specialists Empiric Student property with a view to breathing new life into Prince William House, a Grade II-listed 1980s building, and its neighbour Matthew House. 
The £4.5m refurbishment project, which was carried out by regional contractors Bray & Slaughter, with work starting in August last year and completing this month, has resulted in the creation of 75 student homes, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments. Students also have the use of a large communal space, a 30-seat cinema, a fully equipped gym as well as bike store.
Prince William House and Matthew House are on Colston Street, close to the University of Bristol’s main city campus and the popular shopping and leisure hubs of Park Street and the Clifton Triangle.
Specialist property developer Fusion Students recently completed its £30m-plus conversion of former Froomsgate House office building on Rupert Street into high-end student accommodation.
A number of other city centre office buildings have recently converted to residential accommodation, including the former 106,000 sq ft Lewin’s Place office block, which has been transformed into luxury private accommodation. Flats at Lewin’s Place, now rebranded as Number One Bristol, have just come onto the market.
Urban Creation director Jonathan Brecknell said: “The new accommodation at Prince William House and Matthew House will offer students modern, stylish and cleverly-designed homes, providing the best possible layout and plenty of storage space. Hopefully the inclusion of communal areas, a cinema and gym will offer students plenty of opportunities to socialise and make friends, whilst the location of the homes means they are moments away from the city centre with all that Bristol has to offer in terms of leisure, entertainment, education and work opportunities at their feet.”
Empiric founder and CEO Tim Attlee added: “We’re delighted to add William and Matthew Houses to our portfolio of investments. Urban Creation has been a great partner for Empiric and we hope to do more with Jonathan and his team again soon. Bristol is the city where the seeds of Empiric were sown by us in 2010 with the redevelopment of 39 College Green. The city is an important market for Empiric, and one where we expect to invest further and hold assets into the long term.”
Bray & Slaughter managing directorGrant Jefferies said: “We are pleased to have delivered this complex scheme which has posed technical and logistical challenges due to the extremely constrained nature of the site and the respective ages of what were separate but joined buildings. The repurposing and change of use of building stock to create high quality environments is a hallmark of our work and we are delighted with the project.”
The façade of the building has been renovated, with traditional Bristol red bricks revealed beneath the white paint that was covering them. The conversion has seen the demolition of part of Prince William House as well as a new the installation of four-storey timber frame that now wraps around the building.
Urban Creation develops and manages high-quality developments across Bristol for both students and professionals. It is currently carrying out refurbishment works in Clifton, where it is transforming Alison Court on Apsley Road, and Beech House on the corner of St Paul’s Road, into high-quality apartments, with consent recently granted for the transformation of three buildings in Charlotte Street, off Park Street, into stylish student homes.
