Student Accommodation Project of the Year
15 July 2025
The Castle Bailey Quad student accommodation project at St Peter’s College, University of Oxford has been awarded ‘Student Accommodation of the Year’ at the Education Property Awards 2025, of which our team provided structural and civil engineering works. Under the dedicated stewardship of Design Engine Architects, the project exemplifies what can be achieved when exceptional designers and engineers collaborate.
The regeneration of this constrained, historically sensitive site presented unique challenges. Existing dilapidated buildings occupying the site were investigated in forensic detail to understand the 17th-century stone retaining wall on one side and the adjacent Canal Mansion house, allowing for their careful dismantling. The new flat slab structure was designed to coordinate with the necessary temporary supports needed during construction, mitigating site risks and delays.
Our team at Eckersley O’Callaghan developed a structural scheme that responded to the architects’ vision and supported Passivhaus and low-energy aspirations. The result is a series of accommodation units, interconnected by a shared podium, featuring a faceted brickwork facade and sustainable landscaping. This project demonstrates the value of integrated design and engineering in delivering innovative, high-quality, and sustainable student accommodation.
