I have found that Hillfort House has made a true effort to be more sustainable and has been designed to achieve a BREEAM excellent rating comprising a 5 to a 7-story building made up of 380 newly built student accommodations with amenity space. The spaces available in Hillfort House range from 1,500 (140m2) to 12,055 (1,120m2), with a rent guide of £22/sq. ft.
The project has been designed by Morgan Carn Architects and developed by the main contractor McLaren Property and subcontractor HG Construction. The Cheyne Capital CRECH program has granted the project a £46 million loan to build and open ahead of the 2022/2023 academic year.
The Hillfort House is expected to receive a BREEAM excellent rating because it meets the minimum requirements set out in policy CP8 of Brighton and Hove City Plan Part 1 for a major new build scheme, resulting in a 19% carbon reduction improvement over part L of the building regulations and an ‘optional’ water efficiency standard. Furthermore, the project made planning considerations to discourage students to have cars such as encouraging bicycle use, placing bike stations outside the accommodation, and having more bicycle storage units and nearby public transport. In addition, the project would also meet other policy requirements, such as reducing the heat island effect and improving on-site ecology. Solar shading would be installed on the south-facing elevations, which would then meet the thermal comfort standards required for the BREEAM rating to avoid overheating.
Proposed Site Plan: