QOne Tower, an exemplar student housing development designed by Box Architects for Q Property Developments and managed on their behalf by YPP Investments, has been approved by Leeds City Council.
This 18-storey tower will form a gateway with the existing Arena Village building, marking the north east arrival point into the city. It joins a number of emerging schemes in contributing to the developing residential and student residential character of the local area.
The existing site has several constraints, and its potential as a viable development site was not immediately apparent to Leeds City Council. Box Architects led the design team and worked closely with Indigo Planning to explain the potential of the site to key stakeholders, including the City Design Officer, Leeds Civic Trust and City Plans Panel for Leeds City Council.
City Plans Panel praised the design of the proposals, noting how the evolution of the scheme had changed their view on the development potential of the site. In a report for City Plans Panel, Sarah McMahon, Principal Planner at Leeds City Council, remarks: “The overall design is of a high quality, contemporary, suitability scaled and positioned scheme that would be appropriate for this site and would make a positive aesthetically appropriate contribution to the context of the wider area.”
This student development consists of 98 studio flats with communal facilities, including a lounge, reception area, breakfast room and study pods.
Ken Earl, Director of Box Architects, says: “We are naturally delighted at the outcome of the Plans Panel presentation. Our team, led by Toby Harling, has worked incredibly hard to prove the huge potential that we knew the site had. Once completed, this development will provide much needed purpose-built student accommodation serving the main university campuses.”
David Smith, Associate Director of Indigo Planning, adds: “Box Architects and Indigo Planning have worked closely with Leeds City Council during every step of the planning process. Together, we have designed a tower that will mark a new chapter for the local area with high quality residential and student housing schemes.”
Construction is set to begin in April 2019 with completion scheduled for September 2021.