New student housing on southwest corner of Woudestein

In June 2016, work will start on the realisation of a new student housing project at Woudestein Campus. Plans outline a 25-metre tall building, to be built on the corner of the campus at the intersection of Abram van Rijckevorselweg and Burgemeester Oudlaan. The complex will house 280 en-suite student rooms.

Property developer Peter van Drunen collaborated with the architectural firm Mecanoo on the plans for the student complex, which will be built directly adjacent to the balloon loop of the nearby tram line. The ground floor will house rooms with a floor area of 30 to 40 square meters. “These units will be fitted with a bathroom, toilet and pantry,” says Van Drunen. The ceiling of the ground floor will be some four metres high, which creates headway for a mezzanine that can accommodate the unit’s bathroom and toilet. The rooms on the other floors also have en-suite facilities, but have smaller floor areas: between 22 and 24 square meters.

Rooftop terrace

The building’s courtyard also accommodates a locked bike storage. Another luxurious feature is the rooftop terrace, with a view of the Excelsior Stadium. “I can’t say whether or not you’ll also be able to enjoy the matches from there – that would be something!” says a beaming Van Drunen.

Van Drunen is still conferring with a number of investors, and the outcome of these talks will determine which facilities the building will offer precisely. “A number of foreign investors in particular wouldn’t mind a bit of luxury – a public coffee machine, for example, or a reception desk and full-time management.” The building’s rents will ultimately depend on the level of such facilities, but Van Drunen promises they will still be lower than those charged at the Students Hotel, for example. “We will be taking the current price levels in the Rotterdam market into account.”