Student pavilions now officially open

Their first project was the Student Flats Aan ’t Verlaat, an apartment block inhabited since the beginning of 2015 by 150 students. Their second project was the Student Pavilions Aan ’t Verlaat. Both premises previously housed patients and employees of GGZ Delfland, a mental health care institution, and have been transformed for a period of ten years in to student housing. On Thursday March 24, 2016 the successful transformation of the pavilions was celebrated in the presence of councillor Raimond de Prez.

The delivery of the pavilions occurred in two phases due to demand. In August 2015 the first round of students moved in, and by December 2015 the rest of the complex was completed and fully occupied. In an attempt to minimise renovation costs, the focus of the new design was preserving the existing structures, resulting in a variety of residences accommodating 127 students in 19 houses.

The pavilions will be primarily designated for international students for the first two years of the project. “In collaboration with TU Delft we’re aiming for there to be half international and half Dutch students after this time to help with integration,” said Roben Gort, SHS Delft chairman. There are two graduates that live in the pavilions that act as social managers helping out international students. “They go around and knock on each door once a week to check everything is okay, and they give tips and advice on things like where you can go to buy a toothbrush.”

During the opening there was an opportunity to tour the new living quarters, and Delta went along to check out the new digs. The rooms vary from studios of 28 m² to 50 m² and shared accommodation of 10 m² to 20 m² with communal living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. The single-storey pavilions have high ceilings, plenty of windows looking out onto greenery and are surrounded by courtyards. “We have a social committee for arranging events like film nights in the common room of the adjacent flats that can be used by residents of the pavilions too,” said Gort. The common room was designed by TU Delft architecture students. The pavilions are a ten minute bike ride from campus, on the bus route, with shops a five minute walk away, and have the Delftse Hout right on their doorstep.