On 4th July Student Campus (Y)ours in Leiden was formally opened. Almost 1,900 homes in a mix of tenures have been realised along with additional functions such as retail, restaurants and services forming a mixed living environment. From the outset of the project, the intention was to realise an affordable living environment for a target demographic in Leiden. It is the new place for students, starters and young professionals, conveniently located south of the historic city centre.
In 2015 and 2016, the first phase of approximately 800 homes (3 residential buildings) was completed. The other 3 buildings on the campus were completed between 2017 and 2021, with further completion of the construction of the public spaces in 2022.
With the ambition of realising a sustainable campus, a combination of sustainable systems including gasless buildings, providing heating and hot water via a combination of a heat pump boiler, a ventilation system with heat recovery and many solar panels are utilised. The campus design meets the sustainability requirements set by the municipality. Combined with the flexible housing and pleasant living environment, Student Campus (Y)ours is one of the most socially sustainable student campuses in the Netherlands.