Ziggurat Student Accomodation – Montrose

This project earns its place on our list due to the quality of the work completed, its innovative re-purposing of a landmark building, as well as its transformative effect it has had on  the Irish student accommodation market.

The initial three phases transformed the building internally and externally – phase 4 of the project is the final piece in the puzzle, providing an extra 11 beds and three commercial units  providing more than 200 tenants with ‘on their doorstep’ services.

The project took a tired, economically unfeasible hotel, revitalising it inside and out, and the result is a new and innovative form of student living which is a first of its kind+ in  Ireland. To understand the direction Ireland’s student accommodation market is taking, you need to study this development.

The development comprised the change of use from hotel to student accommodation. The total height of the  development is five storeys, including an additional part set-back storey to the front of the building to provide a total of 196 no. student accommodation units.

Works included all internal alterations, external alterations including the provision of two new fire escapes  to the rear (north-east) elevation of the existing building, a new ground floor entrance at the south-eastern corner of the existing building, a new party wall at ground floor level to allow for the sub-division of the ground floor, the provision of an open  space/amenity area to the north of the existing building, hard and soft landscaping, a refuse storage area, 15 no. car parking spaces, 35 no. bicycle parking spaces, and all associated and ancillary site development works, including the demolition of existing  structures at the rear of the building and at the existing roof level.

The total gross floor area of the building, including the new storey, is 7,049 sq.m. The project was handed  over in 3 phases to facilitate early occupation of floors 2&3 for the beginning of term in September 2015

A follow on phase 4 was commenced following an additional planning application and incorporated an additional  11 bed single story extension with living areas; and grey box fit-out of 3 no. retail units.