Ground-breaking at the University Of Oxford’s Wadham College student accommodation
Thursday 25th January 2018
Staff from Gilbert-Ash gathered last week with representatives of Wadham College, architects, planners, designers, alumni, councillors and local residents to celebrate the ground-breaking to make way for Wadham’s Iffley Road student accommodation building.
Finbarr McMeel, Technical Director from Gilbert-Ash presented the Warden of Wadham College, Ken Macdonald QC, with a ceremonial spade, allowing him to break the ground where the 135-room student accommodation building is to go up.
On behalf of Wadham College, the Warden thanked all those involved with the project for their hard work. “I would particularly like to thank our neighbours here for their tolerance while this work goes ahead. We are confident that this new building will greatly enhance the environment in Iffley Road,” he said.
Finbarr McMeel, Technical Director said ‘We are very pleased to be collaborating with Wadham College and their team on this exciting new scheme and look forward to working with them over the coming months’.
The new building will provide homes for second year students who currently live out of College due to insufficient College-owned accommodation.
Planning permission was approved for the development in January 2017, and demolition of the former car showroom and garage has been taking place since March. The project is due to be completed ready for the start of the 2019 academic year.
The Dorothy Wadham Building is designed to blend with other buildings in the local area in terms of external appearance and materials used. Student accommodation will be car-free and bicycle storage will be located at the rear of the site.
In addition to a porter’s lodge at the entrance, the gated Dorothy Wadham building will have CCTV, a resident site manager and a Sub Dean to ensure that the College’s code of behaviour, high standards and excellent reputation are maintained at all times.
The development will have an attractive internal courtyard garden, a garden room/TV lounge, a computer room and laundry room. Single occupancy ensuite bedrooms will be built in clusters with shared kitchen/dining areas. The site and buildings and eight bedrooms will be fully accessible for students with disabilities.
Photograph courtesy of Wadham College.
