IGLU Central

Description 98 bed student accommodation
Location Chippendale

Sector Living
Sub-Sector Student Accomodation
Specialties Façade, New Build

Contract Type Fixed Lump Sum
Delivery Method Design and Construct

Client IGLU
Architect Bates Smart

Photographer Paramount Studios

IGLU’s first Sydney building was designed to bring together local, interstate and international students in a hotel-style environment in the heart of Chippendale. The new accommodation facilities offer a safe, socially connected place to live, with contemporary spaces that support independence and community. Students who live here, are offered a vibrant urban living experience that reflects the diversity and pace of student life in Sydney.

The project was delivered on a highly constrained and busy corner block, in the middle with minimal storage and access, making the coordination of excavation, crane installation and precast elements particularly complex. With a fixed contract allowing no extensions of time, variations or latent conditions, delivery required precise programming and rigorous site management. Completing the waterproof sarking layer early enabled the internal fitout to progress independently of the façade works, ensuring continuity of trades and maintaining the project’s 11-month timeframe.

Designed as a “hotel for students,” the building features a striking façade of Redcor weathering steel, chosen for its rich patina and its connection to the area’s industrial heritage. The cladding’s modular 450mm rhythm maximised material efficiency while creating a strong architectural identity recognised with 4 major awards, including the Colorbond award for Steel Architecture.

The perforated steel panels balance privacy and natural light, full-height windows amplify the sense of space within rooms and communal areas, and the internal courtyard was designed to foster interaction and collaboration among residents.

The eight-storey, concrete framed building includes 98 beds across studios, single ensuite rooms and six-bed apartments with shared living spaces. Ground Floor amenities include a lounge, dining areas, bicycle storage and building management spaces, with services discreetly integrated behind the façade system. A landscaped internal courtyard provides a secure retreat for students away from the street.

IGLU Central offers students a high-quality, low-maintenance residence that enhances their wellbeing, provides them a community away from home and allows them to focus and thrive in their studies.