The former site of the Connaught Laundry offers huge potential for development as a dedicated student accommodation and facilities campus. The site is within walking distance of the University Hospital, NUIG and the city centre with is national transport links.
Having laid idle and falling into disrepair for a number of years, the existing premises and its scale allows for a strong architectural solution for the delivery of high density student accommodation without over developing the site.
Our approach to the site has been to identify the best locations for a number of high density blocks which are accessible by open circulation cores. The accommodation blocks are kept to the centre of the site to reduce their overlooking and overshadowing on the neighbouring residential areas.
The design of the blocks and the circulation will allow light through the structure and the ability to view through the buildings to central courtyard and landscaped areas that will reduce the visual density of the building as opposed to populating the site with one large solid structure.
The surrounding landscaped areas will further visually soften the building and create privacy at the perimeter of the site for both the occupants and neighbours.
We also propose to retain the existing large brick wall fronting onto Saint Helens St. to retain the current link with the site and area. The wall will actually form the entrance points to the new building.
