'Roman House' Student Accommodation, Clavering Place

Image: © Andrew Curtis Taken: 4 Jan 2017

The 210-bed Roman House development of luxury student accommodation has been built on land that saw some of the city’s most important Roman finds. In 2008 archaeologists from Durham University discovered what they believed to be the main road to the Roman fort of Pons Aelius, a cemetery, and remains of the civilian settlement near the garrison. Site owners, Buccleuch, previously had planning permission for a four-storey office development on the site Image, which would have retained the facade of the former chapel Image, but was shelved due to the economic downturn. The current scheme was designed by local architects, Intersect Architects, on behalf of Gilltown Ltd., with the Robertson Group as the appointed contractor. The building was officially opened on 22nd June 2016 and to students in September. As well as its mix of cluster flats and studio rooms, it includes a gym, private study rooms, common rooms with TVs, games areas and a cinema room. There is a large Roman Centurion mural Image (illuminated at night) on the end wall adjacent to Forth Street and overlooked by trains passing east of Central Station: "A timely reminder than this uninspiring and talentless building is perched incongruously on thousands of years of history." The development (with several similar comments) is extensively documented here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=988765

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