The Student Hotel Eindhoven

Eindhoven’s Station Square, including the former post office, had been left derelict and somewhat battered for many years. Eindhoven and the square, deserve better: a new and vibrant city entrance. The Student Hotel, with its eye-catching height, by Oresti Sarafopoulos, has become a new icon for the student’s city — Eindhoven’s “Brain Port”. It’s hip, professional organization, and young population will once again infuse the station square with energy and life.

The tower is designed with a natural brick façade grid: a light, sandy texture with warm dark tones. The grid size which gives the tower a measurable scale and orients the tower to the city on three levels. At ground level a public plinth relates to street life; the student rooms above have excellent views of the neighborhood; while the top-level suites form a city landmark.

The design is the result of a compact construction process in an equally compact city center location. The robustly designed tower has “cradle to cradle” certified brickwork, natural stone, concrete with recycled granulate, and high insulation glass. A load-bearing frame with an adjustable interior allows for future adaptation, which adds to the building’s sustainability.

A reduction in energy use is achieved through high insulation and measured window openings. Ample natural daylight, in conjunction with presence detection, reduces electricity consumption. The building is connected to an aquifer for renewable energy. Underground bicycle parking is available for the student residents. Car consumption is thus reduced to a minimum.