Student Village at University of Staffordshire
1,000 student bedrooms and a net zero carbon Village Hub that's one of Stoke-on-Trent’s largest single investments
Willmott Dixon has completed the new Student Village at the University of Staffordshire, a 715-bed development in Stoke-on-Trent whose superstructure was delivered in 32 weeks using an offsite light gauge steel frame system.
The £100 million scheme has been delivered under a Design, Build, Finance, Operate (DBFO) model by a consortium of Willmott Dixon, Hochtief PPP Solutions UK and Ireland, Plenary and Pinnacle Group, working with the university. Project and industry partners were given a preview of the completed village ahead of the first residents moving in for the new academic year.
The modern methods of construction (MMC) strategy centred on a fully integrated light gauge steel frame (LGSF) solution, manufactured offsite and assembled on site across six residential buildings. As well as compressing the superstructure programme to 32 weeks, the approach held manufacturing tolerances to 5mm across the development.
At the centre of the site is a £12 million student hub, designed to be net zero carbon in operation. Across four levels it provides individual and group study areas, social and welfare facilities, a landscaped garden lounge and a double-height events hall. A new pedestrian bridge and boardwalk will link the village to the university's wider Leek Road site, where demolition will make way for accessible parkland targeting a 12% biodiversity net gain.
The contract also included the refurbishment of 300 rooms at Clarice Cliff Court, upgrading the living space and installing low-energy systems to improve the block's energy performance. The work was programmed over the summer months so that the university retained its accommodation capacity and avoided any loss of room income.
The DBFO model allows the university to spread the cost over a 50-year period while retaining flexibility during construction. Early engagement between the consortium and the university meant the scheme was delivered for the same £100 million agreed at the outset, with the entry cost and the exit cost matching.
The project has also delivered wider social value for the local area, including 1,000 students engaged through education programmes, 500 weeks of careers support, community volunteering and charity initiatives and mental health awareness campaigns with Lighthouse Charity.
Dan Doyle, operations director at Willmott Dixon, said:
“The ambition here was never simply to build more accommodation. It was to create an inclusive student community, with sustainable, future-ready buildings on a campus that attracts and retains students, and to support the university's long-term plans for sustainability, wellbeing and growth.
“Getting the superstructure up in 32 weeks came from taking the offsite decision early and holding to it, and that same early engagement is why the university has paid what it expected to pay. Pace and cost certainty together are what universities are asking of us.”
Steve Rimell, chief financial officer at the University of Staffordshire, said:
“We are delighted with the outcome of the Student Village project, and as CFO I am particularly pleased that it was delivered on time and on budget. The student hub is going to be extremely impactful for student amenities and wellbeing, and as a way of connecting the accommodation with our main campus.
“Our students were involved from the start, helping to shape the design from the early stages, allowing us to create a new space for them that prioritises community, inclusion and wellbeing.”
Lisa Layne, asset management director at Hochtief PPP Solutions, said:
“The collaboration on this project has been vital, from partners to supply chain. The quality of the development itself is a testament to that, but it is also reflected in the social value we have been able to deliver. This scheme is a strong example of what is possible when universities, developers and delivery partners come together with a shared vision and a collaborative approach.”
The project team delivered a social value programme alongside construction, engaging 1,000 students through education programmes, providing 500 weeks of careers support, and running community volunteering and charity initiatives alongside mental health awareness campaigns with the Lighthouse Charity.
The Student Village adds to Willmott Dixon's higher and further education portfolio, which includes two major projects for Queen Mary University of London, the £48.8m School of Business and Management and the retrofit and extension of its Information Teaching Laboratory, the £19.3m first phase of Coleg Gwent's Crosskeys Campus redevelopment in Newport, and Bridgend College's net zero in operation town centre campus.
The student village will welcome its first residents in time for the new student intake in September 2026.