In partnership with residential developer and management firm Watkin Jones, specialist rental home third-party manager Fresh has announced that it has recently completed a ‘refresh’ refurbishment of its Kingston Plaza purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Kingston.
The key social areas within the 130-bedroom development, which is managed by Fresh on behalf of Northridge Capital, have undergone a refurbishment by the team at Watkin Jones’ building improvement division, Refresh.
Among these areas includes the Kingston Plaza’s entrance, reception, lounge, study spaces and dining room, alongside the addition of a new gym and games area.
“We are pleased to have completed this refurbishment project at Kingston Plaza on behalf of our client Northridge.
“High-quality and diverse social spaces in our properties are vital for creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all our residents and the diversification of the property ensures longevity of the asset.
“We are delighted to have worked alongside Watkin Jones to complete this project in a timely manner for our residents, whilst having a focus on sustainability throughout the build to tie in with our ESG commitments.”
Eddie Kane, Head of Divisional Operations (South), Fresh
Refresh has been designed to bring new life to existing assets by redeveloping, refurbishing and making general improvements to existing PBSA assets in the market to make them safer, more environmentally efficient and so they deliver better-quality amenities for residents.
The refurbishment at Kingston Plaza has included the addition of individual and group study spaces, including individual gaming pods, a pool table area and private dining and meeting spaces.
“We are delighted with the results of the Kingston Plaza refurbishment. The scale of refurbishment opportunities in the UK is significant.
“Of the 719,000 PBSA beds in the UK, 538,000 are over eight years old and are of poorer quality than first-generation schemes.
“The aim of the project is to ensure properties maximise their potential for landlords and residents and the refurbishment at Kingston Plaza has maximised the usage of the spaces in the building for all the residents. We look forward to working with Fresh on future projects.”
Andy Thorne, Technical Services Director, Watkin Jones
New manifestation and internal wayfinding have been installed throughout and a Sonos speaker system in the gym and games area. Existing booth seating has been reupholstered and repaired where necessary.
Aligning with Watkin Jones and Fresh’s commitment to sustainability, the existing furniture has been donated to Stay Well Kingston Community Furniture, who collect unwanted quality furniture for restoration, resale and reuse.
The refurbishment programme, including furniture installation and dressing and gym equipment installation, took seven weeks to complete.
“We are delighted with the transformation achieved at Kingston Plaza through the Refresh programme with Fresh and Watkin Jones.
“The project was executed seamlessly, with minimal disruption to our residents.
“The complete overhaul of the property within such a short period is a testament to the dedication and expertise of all involved.”
Michael McCauley, Managing Director, Northridge Capital
