Queen’s Gets to Build the Largest Eco-friendly Accommodation

The City Council planning committee of Belfast has granted permission for Northern Ireland’s first Passivhaus student accommodation, with over 450 units. The student accommodation will be the first and largest eco-friendly purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in Belfast and the island of Ireland.

Passivhaus buildings are globally recognised and certified for saving energy, as little energy is used for heating and cooling the premises; this will be the first Passivhaus building witnessed in Belfast.

Northern Ireland’s higher education providers estimate that in the upcoming years, 6,000 student beds will be needed across the city due to the high educational demand. Additionally, Queen’s students alone are estimated to need 3,000 more beds in Belfast within the next five years due to the increased demand from students choosing to live in high-quality student accommodation; Queen’s currently owns and manages over 3,500 beds across the city.

“We have seen a huge demand for student accommodation in recent years. This site will help us in part to meet the demand for quality student accommodation while working towards our Strategy 2030, which has sustainability at its core,” Caroline Young, vice president of students and corporate services at Queen's University Belfast, stated.

She also added, “The site at Dublin Road will house up to 459 students, offering the first ultra-low-emission multi-occupancy building in the city centre. We are delighted to be at the forefront of such a significant milestone for sustainable development in Belfast and beyond, which resonates with the Belfast City Council’s aim to future-proof the city for generations to come.

“We are committed to achieving our ambitious net zero target for 2040 while providing the best student experience, not least by continuing to offer high-quality accommodation at one of the best values across the UK. ”

London Economics’ recent report highlighted that Queen’s University has a huge impact and contribution to the economy, with £3.2bn, increasing economic growth in the region. 

Ms. Young confirms that, as she said, “This site marks an important part of our longer-term accommodation plan to meet growing demand. This site will not only positively impact the economy for the foreseeable future in terms of job creation and the transformation of the area but also in the long term, with the impact expected to be seen for generations of students to come.”