Henley Halebrown gets go-ahead for east London student flats

Henley Halebrown has been given the nod for a 282-room purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development in Stratford, east LondonThe practice received a ‘resolution to grant planning’, subject to section 106 agreements, for the Poland House student hall of residence in Stratford High Street on the edge of the Olympic Park.Backed by client Curlew Capital, the scheme will replace an existing building housing 100-bed student flats, a 1960s block which had previously been used as a car show room and offices before its conversion to accommodation.The 9,540m² development, which will also occupy a vacant former petrol station site next door, features four interlocking red stock brick and tinted precast concrete blocks ranging in height from eight to 12 storeys.The largest volume, which fronts onto Stratford High Street, marks the main entrance with a ground-level arcade. According to the practice, the cantilevered corner detailing at first floor level opens up to make more floor area at typical floor level than the building’s footprint: 65 per cent, compared with 59 per cent at ground floor level.Plans also include a barrel-vaulted foyer doubling up as a community space for use by local charities and start-ups. This will open out onto a sunken garden.Student rooms at upper levels are wrapped around two stair cores sandwiched between the two overlapping blocks, with kitchen, dining and living spaces located beside these on a corner of each block to enable dual-aspect spaces. Plans also include a central communal area.Curlew is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating for the scheme, making it one of a few PBSA developments in the UK to achieve this.The application was heard by the London Legacy Development Corporation last week (23 February 2021). Demolition work is due to start in July.