TCA were appointed to reimagine in excess of 15,000sqft of social spaces that exist within and throughout the building. The project delivered a new communal and more inclusive reception space, private and communal study and social areas, a new gym, fitness studio, dual lecture spaces and ancillary office facilities. The existing building lacked a coherent internal spatial resolution and facilities to address student needs for both today and the future.

The design for the refurbishment was conceived from the contextual history and local character of the area, drawing on the Industrial heritage and language of the iconic Kings Cross station. The main arrival hall has been stripped back to reveal the original concrete and steel structure, and a context-inspired material palette, including metalwork and ceramic tiles, is to be applied across all spaces. This strategy allows each of the Chapter residencies to have a unique look and feel, with a baseline of key aesthetic features that translate across the entire portfolio. The improvement to the social spaces are linked to a wider set of building extension being proposed by TCA and as a result the developed design had to be able to cater for a changing profile of student users and creating a network of new vertical links to potential new extended spaces in the future.