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editorial
Servicing Hatfield’s students With the rising demand for student accommodation, the Feenstra Group has created a unique product in Hatfield Studios
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atfield Studios is a dedicated student accommodation complex that was completed in November 2014 – just in time for the 2015 student intake at the University of Pretoria. The Hatfield node offers easy access for vehicle, bus and rail commuters, and is known as the student hub of Pretoria, offering a range of amenities for all residents. The surrounding area has been earmarked by local authorities as a key growth student accommodation node to cater for the current undersupply. There has been no real stock coming onto the market in recent times, and the Feenstra Group hopes to take advantage of this opportunity. It conceptualised Hatfield Studios to create a unique product for the student accommodation market in Hatfield. This student accommodation concept is one of a handful in Pretoria that are leading the way in the market. The high-level project brief was to create a secure, large-scale, modern, sought-after student accommodation development within walking distance of the University of Pretoria. The complex needed to accommodate about 1 000 students to create bulk and have the development benefit from the economies of scale in property capital investment cost and maintenance expenses over its lifetime.
Extensive research was done internationally in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia in terms of the latest concepts in student living. Research was also done in South Africa to understand the current and latest student accommodation trends and offerings. A very detailed research study was conducted in the local Hatfield market among students at the University of Pretoria to understand their needs and preferences in terms of student accommodation. Feenstra Group also took cognisance of the draft policy for student housing presented by the South African government. The site is uniquely located in that it fronts onto the busy Burnett Street and Prospect Street, which leads to the university gate. Provision was made for secure pedestrian and vehicular access from both these streets. The local authority has increased the allowable bulk rights and height restrictions in Hatfield to pave the way for student accommodation and attract development in this node. It also aims to entice largescale student accommodation development by way of allowing sites larger than 5 000m² (which are mostly consolidated
property developer l May 2015
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2015/04/29 11:24 AM