Griffith University unveils new accommodation tower to house hundreds of students

A Gold Coast university has unveiled a new on-campus student housing tower set to house hundreds of students. Take a look

A Gold Coast University has unveiled plans to build a new accommodation tower set to house hundreds of tertiary students.

An application has been lodged with Gold Coast City Council for a 459-bed accommodation tower at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus, which is expected to increase on-campus living capacity to approximately 1000 students. If approved, construction will commence in the first half of 2024 with completion forecast for mid-2026.

Professor Carolyn Evans Vice-chancellor, Griffith University

Griffith University Vice Chancellor and President, professor Carolyn Evans said the tower will feature “a mix of studio, two-bedroom rooms, and accessible units.”

She added: “(Including) a substantial uplift in amenities to benefit all residents which includes a new swimming pool, cinema and a range of contemporary communal spaces.”

It comes after professor Evans at the at the Bulletin’s Future Gold Coast forum last month said the city’s tertiary enrolments were suffering – dropping 8 per cent this year – in part due to increasing cost of living and limited housing options for students.

“(Students) are looking for lifestyle, not necessarily the super fun, but the beautiful and a lot of young people now are very healthy and active,” she said.

“They want cleanness, they want affordability and that is a challenge for everybody.”

Render of what a new 459-bed Griffith University student accommodation tower will look like once it is built. Picture: Supplied

Professor Evans said the new accommodation tower will not only provide an affordable alternative to the rental market, it will also offer a “first-class” on-campus living experience.

“Griffith’s Gold Coast campus offers students the opportunity to study in one of the most enviable places to live in the world,” she added.

Global student accommodation provider Campus Living Villages – who built, owns and operates the existing Griffith University Village since 2006 – has been signed on for the new project.

Group Managing Director and CEO of Campus Living Villages, John Schroder, said the tower will be the company’s first new build in the Australian market post-Covid.

“This new tower will be a landmark building delivering a best-in-class healthy and sustainable building targeting a five-star Green Star rating with a crosswalk to WELL Gold,” he said.