Work on a new £30 million student accommodation complex in Durham is now complete.

ENGIE has delivered 274 en-suite studio apartments across six blocks on Duresme Court, including a cinema lounge, games room, and state-of-the-art gym.

Based on the edge of the Durham Conservation area, the site was formerly a commercial laundrette and has been designed to reach an 'Outstanding' rating under Building Research Establishment Environment Assessment Method (BREEAM), making it one of the most sustainable student campuses across the UK.

After 14 months of construction, ENGIE has now handed over the scheme to Homes for Students who will oversee management and letting on behalf of the investor, IP Investment Management (IPIM) and developer County Properties.

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Lee Francis, Area Director for ENGIE’s northern regeneration business, said: "This has been one of the most remarkable projects we have ever worked on as the approach was so carefully considered and multi-faceted.  County Properties didn’t just want to build new homes for students, they wanted to provide a thriving environment, with quality and sustainability at the core.

"Local input and welfare were paramount to the success of this scheme and we put several measures in place to ensure disruption was kept to a minimum. To do this, we utilised efficient methods of construction, including off-site manufactured bathroom pods, as well as tailored working times and implementing a community web portal which kept communication open throughout the duration of the build. The new apartments look fantastic and we are confident they will be a valued addition to Durham."

(LM)