North East & Yorkshire Premier Construction

Presenting Portobello Point

Portobello Point, Sheffield
Written by Roma Publications

Portobello Point, Sheffield

Portobello Point in Sheffield is a stunning new student accommodation block from Omnia Space.

Situated just off West Street, the seven storey building comprises 25 cluster apartments, providing rooms for 106 students, along with a common room and a state-of-the-art gym.

Construction work began on Portobello Point in May 2013 and reached completion in August 2014. London-based interior design practice, March & White, was the interior designer on the project, Roe Developments was the main contractor and Coda Studios provided all architectural work.

Formed in 2003 and based in Sheffield, Coda Studios is one of the region’s leading multidisciplinary architecture and design practices, working on both commercial and residential projects. The award winning practice has delivered schemes across a range of sectors, including retail, education, industrial, hotels and more.

Speaking to Premier Construction about Portobello Point, Coda Studios Associate, Jamie Hanson, said:

“The idea for Portobello Point was to design a building around a central courtyard, creating an area where students could integrate socially. Meanwhile, the common room is effectively like a coffee shop-style facility which looks out onto the street, allowing students to see outside whilst they work comfortably inside. Having the courtyard, the common room and the gym all in one place make the students’ lives a little bit easier and they all work very well together.”

Portobello Point, Sheffield

Jamie added:

“This was quite a tricky site for Roe Developments to work on, with some restrictions, so no materials could be kept on site and deliveries had to be coordinated. Roe Developments did really well to work around the restrictions and the project ran on programme as planned.”

Internally Portobello Point has been designed to provide students with all the comforts of home, and then some, with high specification kitchens and bathrooms. Additional features include a bike store, a laundry room and broadband points throughout.

Internally the building has been decorated in shades of grey which get lighter with each floor. Externally the seventh floor includes a perforated cladding screen with an LED light that glows during the evening. Safety and security has also been considered and Portobello Point includes a gated entry system and a CCTV system.

Steel City Tiling supplied all of the tiles and materials in each of the developments en suites. The firm specialise in the installation of unique wall and floor tiling in both the domestic and commercial sectors. Premier Construction caught up with

Portobello Point, Sheffield

Andy Mason, the firm’s owner, to find out what it meant to be involved in the Portobello Point project:

“It is very important to be involved with this scheme; we have worked with Roe Developments on a few occasions now and as with all of our clients we always take great pride in our work and aim for the highest standards at all time.”

With work now complete on the building, Portobello Point is already fully let and ready for the intake of students when the new university term begins. Reflecting on the project, Jamie said:

“It was a great project for us to be involved with and one which is in such a fantastic location within the city centre. The project provided us with the opportunity to showcase our architectural abilities, by allowing us to re-think how students live. We were also able to maximise space throughout, creating a building which could receive as much sunlight as possible.”

Portobello Point, Sheffield

Portobello Point is operated by Omnia Space, a leading expert in providing comfortable, great value accommodation for students in Sheffield and Bournemouth. All student accommodation blocks are situated close to city centres and universities and provide students with community living. Omnia Space staff are contactable in the office Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm, with a 24 hour emergency line on hand to deal with any problems should they arise.

For more information about Portobello Point, please visit: www.omniaspace.co.uk and www.codastudios.co.uk.

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Roma Publications