Construction of high-quality student accommodation at 292-298 St Vincent Street, Glasgow is now underway, heralding a welcome investment boost for the heart of the city centre.
Award-winning developer Artisan Real Estate and Homes for Students, the UK’s largest independent student management company, are partnering with building contractor GRAHAM to progress construction of the £33 million development which will provide 321 self-contained studio apartments.
The existing office building on the site, which has remained unoccupied since 2019, has now been demolished and substructure works are now progressing following the completion of piling. The development is scheduled for completion in summer 2026 and will provide purpose-built student accommodation together with a range of additional facilities and amenities.
This includes a dedicated reception, study rooms and common areas together with a gym, cinema room, roof terraces and dedicated internal cycle storage for 160 bikes.
Regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate is an award-winning property developer and investor, with a strong track record in delivering innovative and sensitive development across Scotland and in Glasgow in particular. Welcoming the construction start, Artisan’s Development Director for Scotland David Westwater said:
“The site is in a superb city centre location, within easy walking or cycling distance to a number of higher and further education establishments within the city.
“There is a demonstrable need for high-quality purpose-built student accommodation in the city, especially for individual studio apartments. The more longer-term student market we are targeting will bring energy and investment to the city centre and ensure deliverability of a superbly designed development to replace the existing office block which had remained vacant for the last five years.
“We will actively work with our neighbours to make the development an active and integral part of the local area, providing opportunities for our neighbours to share communal meeting spaces.”
GRAHAM has extensive experience of delivering private and student accommodation in Glasgow including a recently completed £81.5 million build-to-rent scheme at Candleriggs Square in the Merchant City. The contractor is also currently on site at 225 Bath Street to provide 551 student apartments, anticipated for completion in summer 2025.
Gary Holmes, Regional Managing Director at GRAHAM Building North, added:
“It is fantastic to work with Artisan Real Estate to deliver attractive student residences within Glasgow city centre to alleviate the continued demand. Now that GRAHAM is on site, our team look forward to bringing the development out of the ground, breathing life back into a currently vacant site. This will help to aid wider regeneration efforts in the city, helping to retain its reputation as an attractive destination for both local and international students."
The completed development will be managed by Homes for Students, the largest independent student management company in the UK with 40,000 beds nationwide and a strong regional presence across Scotland.
Martin Corbett, Chief Executive Officer of Homes for Students said:
“We are proud to be working closely with Artisan Real Estate to ensure this will be a best-in-class purpose-built scheme. We will be creating high quality accommodation and amenities for students to enjoy, providing an exceptional user experience using the skills of our property team to foster and support student wellbeing whilst closely integrating with the local community.”