Kensington Student Accommodation Awarded for Best Purpose Built Student Accommodation Development
A benchmark for contemporary student living
Designed by nettletontribe for Cedar Pacific, Kensington Student Accommodation represents a considered and contemporary response to student living in one of Sydney’s most active education precincts. Located at 177–197 Anzac Parade, the completed 2024 development provides 655 student beds within walking distance of the UNSW Kensington Campus.
The award recognises a project that is the result of sustained collaboration, design commitment and a shared ambition to deliver high-quality purpose built student accommodation. From early concept through to completion, the project required a careful balance of planning, feasibility, urban design and resident experience. The outcome is a building that supports students academically, socially and personally, while contributing positively to its surrounding neighbourhood.
A key ambition of the design was to respond sensitively to the existing urban fabric. The building reinforces the Anzac Parade street wall, while its scale, setbacks and materiality help mediate its relationship with neighbouring residential buildings. Face brickwork at the lower levels acknowledges the established masonry character of the streetscape, while the refined upper levels reduce the building’s perceived mass.
Internally, the design prioritises wellbeing, comfort and community. Generous shared amenity, landscaped courtyards, study spaces, communal kitchenettes and a rooftop terrace encourage connection and provide students with a variety of spaces to gather, retreat and study.
As nettletontribe’s eighth completed purpose built student accommodation project with Cedar Pacific in Australia, UniLodge Kensington reflects the strength of an ongoing partnership and a shared commitment to elevating student living.
We congratulate Cedar Pacific, UniLodge and the broader project team on this well-deserved recognition, and acknowledge the many nettletontribe team members who contributed to the project’s success.
