Students want residential accommodation that’s not only comfortable to live in but also offers them a host of familiar facilities and amenities,” says James Walsh, creative director at architects and interior designers Anyo. “This places demands on design standards and savvy architects are finding ways to improve how they plan and create successful projects.” He adds: “Buildings need to feel like a home away from home for students, many of whom are living away from familiar surroundings and learning how to cope on their own for the first time. Ideally, these buildings must strike a balance between privacy and accessibility - a well-designed student hall of residence will make all of the difference to the lives of students, their wellbeing and academic achievement.” Walsh believes that student accommodation lies at the heart of HE academic life. He says: “It can be a catalyst for social interaction and stimulating hubs to expedite new experiences. The better residence halls often include fully-outfitted common rooms where students can eat, relax, and study along with collaboration zones and recreational and sports areas. Moreover, university administrators can leverage well-designed, happy halls as part of their marketing and recruitment plans - when students are considering where to go to university, housing is more often than not a major factor in their final decision, helping them to picture what campus life for them will be like.” Walsh has designed the new Riverside student living in Canterbury in Kent, where partnership has been a key element in successful project delivery. Working with the local council alongside construction engineers Bouygues UK and student housing operators U-Living, Anyo was involved from the master plan stage right the way through to the development of the final MMC build system.