I recently had a couple of hours at the freshly completed David Kato College and Anne Lister College at the University of York’s Heslington East Campus.

Designed by Sheppard Robson the colleges are named after prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ movement. They are accommodation and living blocks for students at the university. I remember my student accommodation – in the days where communal facilities consisted solely of a room full of washing machines and tumble dryers. Some of the rooms in David Kato College look out over the university wetlands. Floor to ceiling windows which would offer spectacular sunrises and dramatic changes over the year – pretty much my dream room as a student – a view I imagine is wasted on some of the undergraduates!

There’s loads of nice planting and trees which make me want to make a revisit over the summer months to explore how they help transform they outside areas. The buildings themselves were constructed using a modular system so many of the elements were built off site and put swiftly into position. There is a mix of concrete and brick finishes throughout the scheme with the concrete pattern design extending across windows.

In interesting place to explore if you ever get the chance.