Unite completes £185m Stratford PBSA scheme

Unite Students has completed its £185 million Hawthorne House development in Stratford, providing 719 student beds alongside a new sixth-form facility ahead of opening for the 2026/27 academic year.

The development is already fully let, with more than half of its rooms allocated directly to students from University of the Arts London (UAL) through a multi-year agreement.

That partnership is particularly significant given Unite's recently announced strategy to concentrate its portfolio around the UK's strongest universities. UAL is ranked second globally for art and design and operates its London College of Fashion campus close to Hawthorne House.

The completion therefore provides an early example of the type of university alignment Unite is seeking as it reshapes its wider PBSA portfolio.

Joe Lister, CEO at Unite Students, said: “The partnership with the University of Arts London, a world leading university for arts and design, supports our strategy to align with the UK’s strongest universities.”

Hawthorne House occupies a prominent location next to Stratford station and provides a mix of cluster apartments and studios alongside communal amenities including study areas, a gym, karaoke room and roof terrace.

However, the £185 million project is more than a conventional standalone student accommodation development.

The first six floors contain 65,000 sq ft of accommodation for the London Academy of Excellence, providing a new sixth-form facility that will allow the academy to increase its capacity from 480 to 750 students.

Lister said: “Hawthorne House is a unique and exciting new development, and we can’t wait to welcome our university students and the London Academy of Excellence.”

The development has also delivered improvements to an existing railway bridge and landscaping around the site.

Another significant feature is its route through the new building safety regime. Hawthorne House is Unite's first development to be governed by the Building Safety Act, with the company reporting what it described as an efficient and collaborative approval process with the Building Safety Regulator.

Its completion comes as developers of higher-risk residential buildings continue to adapt to the Gateway regime introduced under the legislation. PBSA developers have been particularly exposed to the changes because taller student accommodation falls within the higher-risk building regime.

The building has also been designed to improve energy efficiency and material performance, with Unite saying it exceeds RIBA climate targets.

For Unite, however, the commercial performance of the development is arguably just as important as its construction milestones.

Last week the company set out plans to reduce its exposure to weaker university markets, identifying between 15,000 and 20,000 beds for disposal as it concentrates its portfolio around institutions offering stronger and more resilient student demand.

Hawthorne House demonstrates the other side of that strategy: investment in a well-connected London location, supported by a long-term relationship with a highly ranked university and with the accommodation fully committed before students arrive.

Lister added: “The scheme also helps to regenerate an important London gateway site, supports more local, young people into sixth-form education and frees up privately rented homes for families and young professionals.”

The development is due to welcome its first residents in September.