SSH welcomes 921 new residents to High Five at Utrecht Science Park

High Five consists of two high-rise towers and is SSH’s fifth residential building at Utrecht Science Park – hence the name High Five. The 200 rooms and 721 studios are intended for different groups, including regular students, international degree students, Short Stay residents and participants in the Goede Buur programme. Most studios are approximately 20 square metres and have their own kitchen and bathroom. The rooms have a private bathroom and share a spacious communal kitchen with other residents.

Connecting

In addition to accommodation, High Five offers a range of shared facilities. Residents have access to a secure bicycle storage facility, laundry facilities, a parcel wall and an attractive green courtyard garden. From October onwards, High Five residents will also be able to study and meet each other in the informal and quiet study areas on the ground floor of the South Tower, which are currently still being furnished.

A central meeting place will also be created on the ground floor, where all students at Utrecht Science Park are welcome: Low Five. In addition to providing space for socialising, art, culture and hospitality, Low Five will offer opportunities to eat, drink, study and exercise.

Edvard van Luijn, Director of Acquisitions & Development at SSH: “With High Five, we are not only adding 921 homes to Utrecht Science Park, but also creating an environment where students can meet, learn together and feel at home. At a time when the demand for student housing is high, we are proud to have realised a future-proof residential environment together with our partners, where hundreds of students can start or continue their housing journey.”

Construction

High Five was developed by SSH and realised by developer and construction company VORM.

Michiel de Vries, COO of VORM: “High Five demonstrates what industrial construction can achieve. Rather than traditional construction methods, we used innovative design and prefabrication to produce components that could be efficiently assembled on site. This results in an exceptionally sleek, high-quality building. And with its champagne-coloured façade, it is also a real eye-catcher.”

The landscape design was developed by OKRA. The building was designed by OZ, with architect-partner Oresti Sarafopoulos serving as project architect.

Oresti Sarafopoulos, architect-partner at OZ: “We designed High Five with community-building at its heart; spaces and routes have been organised to encourage people to meet. The move of hundreds of students into their first home of their own on the Utrecht campus therefore marks a special moment. We can now see how they will use the courtyard, the entrance gate, the study and sports facilities, the hospitality venues and the shared kitchens. I am very curious to see whether, with all their routines, they will make the complex their own in the way we envisioned.”

From a sustainability perspective, High Five makes a valuable contribution. The design has achieved a three-star BREEAM certification (Very Good). The building features a thermal energy storage system (ATES), which provides sustainable heating and cooling and is also designed to accommodate future expansion. In addition, the homes have a high energy-efficiency rating.

With the completion of High Five, SSH further strengthens its presence at Utrecht Science Park and contributes to a vibrant, international and inclusive campus community where living, studying and meeting come together.