Working closely with the client, HLM were appointed to develop proposals for two sites within St Andrews, each located adjacent to existing student halls of residence. The brief to provide almost 400 additional bedroom spaces across the 2 sites, was part of the largest expansion of student accommodation in St. Andrews for over a decade.
Whitehorn Hall is one of the completed projects.
Whitehorn Hall (Katharine Whitehorn, writer and first female Rector of the University), set out to reinforce the very specific character and feel of the adjacent Category B listed residential halls. In response, the design creates a series of connected collegiate style quads, sympathetic to the scale and massing of Old Wing, and referencing the richness of the Conservation area’s Baronial and Gothic roofscape. Each residential block adopts a contemporary zinc pitched roof, reflecting and adding to the varied roofscape in the vicinity. Grey brickwork and polished concrete are used for the main buildings, sympathetic to the tone of adjacent buildings whilst projecting concrete bays give prominence to common living spaces, punctuating and animating facades and creating activity on courtyard elevations.
In both Whitehorn Hall and Powell Hall, double height spaces create a sense of arrival, with vibrant and active spaces on ground floor, and quieter focussed study areas above. Linking directly to the main vertical circulation, students are drawn through these spaces encouraging interaction and engagement, helping to foster a sense of community within each hall.
Project website: https://hlmarchitects.com/projects/whitehorn-hall-university-of-st-andrews/
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