For young people leaving home for the first time to attend university, navigating a new social world while studying and learning to live independently can be a daunting challenge – one that can take its toll on their mental health.

While this has perhaps always been the case, the disruption of the Covid pandemic in 2020-21 highlighted the issue of student wellbeing and threw into sharp relief the role that purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) providers and operators play in supporting young people.

In a 2021 report by UK student mental health charity Student Minds, 74% of students said the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Adjusting to remote learning, financial worries and the isolation of lockdown all played a significant role in their stress.

In response, PBSA operators, academics and data specialists, supported by Student Minds, have begun to look more closely at how the properties that students live in can affect their personal development and wellbeing.

Accommodation plays an outsized role in shaping the student experience
Neil Burton, Collegiate UK

Even before Covid, there had been research into how accommodation affected students. According to a 2019 report on student wellbeing in PBSA, published by the British Property Federation and the Department for Education, providers and operators have “a unique opportunity to help students make the most of their university experience”.

The report adds that building design “has a significant impact on wellbeing” and should be a key consideration for PBSA providers.

Personal development

Student accommodation providers and operators also have a significant role to play in supporting the personal development of the young people in their schemes, says Neil Burton, managing director of operator Collegiate UK, which has 10,800 student beds across 21 UK cities.

He notes that in the transition to adulthood, university students are undergoing a period of intense brain development, which shapes decision-making, emotional regulation and personal development (see box, below).

“In student housing, students are not just looking for a place to live; they’re searching for community, support and environments that nurture their personal growth,” says Burton. “Our role is to design spaces and operational processes that support this journey, helping students successfully transition to adulthood.”

He adds: “I’ve spent time researching what students and their parents expect from the university experience. What’s clear is that the accommodation plays an outsized role in shaping that experience. As students navigate their studies, relationships and personal development, the place they call home is central to their success.”

There is a growing body of scientific research linking building design and wellbeing. “Our living environments profoundly shape our cognition, emotions and behaviour,” says Dr Michal Gath-Morad, neuroscientist and assistant professor at the University of Cambridge’s department of architecture and director of the Cambridge Cognitive Architecture (CCA) research group.

“From the ability to restore mental energy and focus attention to managing stress, the design of our spaces has a direct impact on our wellbeing,” she adds.

Gath-Morad’s work focuses on what she calls ‘neuroarchitecture’, an evidence-based approach to design that applies insights from cognitive neuroscience to create spaces that align with human neurobiology and psychology. Neuroarchitecture aims to transform how buildings are designed for health, learning and connection.

For students, the right environment can make the difference between thriving and struggling
Dustin Fjeld, Fjeld Consulting

Gath-Morad says healthcare environments provide a critical case study that can help inform design choices in the PBSA sector. “Hospitals are among the most complex environments to design, with lives often depending on their efficiency and functionality,” she says.

In her role as director of the CCA, Gath-Morad undertook a project using wearable sensors to map behaviour within a healthcare setting. This data, alongside interviews, identified patterns in how people interacted. The study found that co-visibility – the extent to which spaces are visible from a given location – played a critical role. Caregivers in highly visible spaces reported better collaboration and higher-quality care.

“Our work with healthcare environments has demonstrated the transformative power of evidence-based design,” says Gath-Morad. “Using advancements in building information modelling, cognitive modelling and artificial intelligence, we’ve developed predictive
tools to simulate how layouts affect wayfinding, social interaction and operational efficiency.”

Industry collaboration

Student Minds has begun raising awareness of the importance of designing student living spaces with neuroscience in mind. Late last year, the charity brought together leaders from universities and PBSA providers to share insights and ask how they could transform student environments to support the development of young people.

“As an industry, we need to learn more about how real estate design decisions can impact on student behaviours and development as they reach adulthood,” says Yeme Onoabhagbe, interim chief executive of Student Minds.

She adds that while the work is challenging, a number of individuals are learning from past failures to design and create better solutions for students.

“I hope, as a sector, we continue to create spaces for meaningful cross-organisational collaborations,” Onoabhagbe says.