Case study: Modern studio apartments for students in Lancaster

From the first design to the last touch, Decorpanel KBB supplied expertise and high-quality products to facilitate a brand-new suite of studio apartments for students in Lancaster.

The Mill Hall Student Accommodation project set out to produce premium quality studio apartments, with high quality kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living furniture. For an elevated approach with an emphasis on high-quality material, décor and design, developers UniPad turned to Decorpanel KBB, a branch of Premier Forest Products.

The team at Decorpanel KBB were involved from day one with the design of 50 studio apartments each with a different layout, alongside external interior designer, who took influence from Egger décor.

Once the designs had been finalised, the team got to work with manufacturing. Our experts supplied all kitchen products, bathroom units, and general living and bedroom furniture as well as all wall panelling.

The first three floors of the building were completed in time with students arriving for September, with the remaining floors following close behind.

By choosing to use Decorpanel KBB products, the intricate designs of each studio could be achieved. The ambitious specification from UniPad required the highest quality products with specific fittings due to the compact nature of the apartments. Our experts rose to the challenge effortlessly and produced bespoke panelling products that were customised to fit each room, rather than being restricted by standard sizes.

Along the way challenges arose with design plans changing, such as alterations in the heating layout, but our team reacted quickly and modified the products. They perfectly displayed the benefits of our bespoke services, enabling us to address unprecedented issues head on once installation began.

Anthony Hopps, Group Processing Director at Premier Forest Products, said: “This project perfectly demonstrates the benefits of our services. With our bespoke panelling and ability to react quickly to changes in plans, we were able to deliver the high-quality design and bring an elevated and proactive approach to this student accommodation.”

The team at UniPad were delighted with the products and expertise provided by Decorpanel KBB, and the current tenants have reported positively on the quality of their studios.

Engaging with our clients at an early stage of the project best utilises the design skills Decorpanel KBB offers, together with our capability to manufacture solutions on a large scale.