Stelling Properties, a leading modular construction and residential development specialist, announces the start of its largest and most ambitious project to date.
A landmark student living scheme will be built using modular construction at 119 High Street in Southampton. The £20m project will provide 257 studios, doubling the scale of Stelling’s previous developments to meet demand from the growing student population in the city. It will also be the developer’s most sustainable and energy efficient student facility, with a host of environmental features.
Located in the Old Town Quarter, within a conservation area and close to several listed, historic buildings, the project has been sensitively designed by Stelling’s inhouse architectural team to enhance the cityscape. It will replace two outdated 1960s commercial buildings and will deliver a range of high-quality student accommodation options in three blocks, from three to six storeys high.
This latest scheme follows Stelling’s multi award-winning Bargate House – also in Southampton, which regenerated and transformed a derelict site on the High Street.
As with Bargate House, the new student complex at 119 High Street will be operated by leading student living provider Unilife.
It will feature a mix of one- and two-bed studios of varying sizes, including some apartment clusters with communal kitchens.
The high-specification private living spaces will be complemented by extensive shared amenities to encourage social interaction and enhance the student experience. These will include a gym, study areas, lounge spaces, gourmet dining room, karaoke room, meeting hub with coffee station, individual meeting rooms, games room, and laundry.
José Ignacio Alvarez, Founder and Executive Chair of Stelling Properties, said:
“This project is a major milestone for Stelling Properties. It will be our largest modular student development to date and our most sustainable, being close to netzero and targeting a BREEAM excellent rating. Our use of advanced offsite manufacturing technology allows us to fully fit out and furnish each studio in our Hampshire factory. This will radically reduce the build programme and disruption during construction, and will ensure earlier occupation for students in need of quality accommodation.”
Demolition works have just started on site and preparation is now underway for archaeological excavations. A concrete podium will be constructed at ground floor level to accommodate the shared social amenities.
A total of 263 steel-framed modules will be manufactured and craned into position for the private living space by Spring 2026. The development will welcome its first students in September 2026 for the start of the new academic year.
In another innovation, Stelling will install the façade finishes offsite in its factory, reducing work on site even further and demonstrating another advancement in its offsite construction solutions.
The exterior of the scheme has been sensitively designed to suit its context, with light stone-effect cladding and red brickwork, and in keeping with the surrounding historic and listed buildings.
Richard Powell, COO of Unilife, said:
“Our partnership with Stelling Properties continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible with modular technology to build student living of the highest standards, more efficiently. The design of 119 High Street has been shaped by extensive feedback and collaboration with our student community, ensuring we meet evolving expectations for privacy, comfort, and social integration.”
“This use of offsite construction also allows us to refine our interior design themes and technological solutions in real-time before full-scale production, which is game-changing. Smart phone access technology will provide seamless, keyless entry, while mood lighting will allow students to set the perfect ambience in their private space.”
The development has strong sustainability credentials, which will include:
- Precision-engineered modular construction to increase air tightness, reduce heat loss and deliver a reduced carbon footprint in the building’s construction and operation
- A green roof for biodiversity and rainwater attenuation
- Renewable energy from roof-mounted solar panels
- Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) – a more energy efficient and healthier alternative to air conditioning.
Externally there will be a south-facing landscaped terrace, a roof terrace overlooking the High Street, cycle storage for 130 bikes and a pedestrian route through the site to improve connectivity.