The University of the West of Scotland’s requirements were to create safe and inclusive student accommodation that contributes positively to the campus aesthetic and would be environmentally sustainable. The site is located at the intersection of Witherspoon Street and Storie Street in the centre of Paisley and is surrounded by residential buildings to the south, campus buildings to the west, a car park to the north and mixed use buildings to the east including the visitor attraction the Sma’ Shot Cottages which are Grade B listed. The project objectives were to provide accommodation to cater for 340 students, all rooms being designed with en-suite facilities and arranged in 4, 5 and 6 bed clusters with designated kitchen and living facilities attached. Subsequent stipulations by Building Control requiring additional accessible bedrooms resulting in overall accommodation for 336 students. A Management Suite which looks after the day to day running of the residences has been provided along with laundry facilities to cater for 500 persons located in close proximity to a suitably sized Common Room which acts as a break out space for the students. Selection of the materials was driven by the existing campus and the setting of the building. It was important to retain a unified image for the University whilst developing a distinct identity for the student residences. External faces are brick, reconstituted stone, zinc and render chosen to respond to the surrounding buildings but also to break up the facade and create a distinct identity to the building. Internal/courtyard elevations are treated more simply with two different shades of render above the brick plinth. Spandrel panels have been incorporated throughout the design to create the impression of vertical strips of glazing across the elevations. Through the selection of these materials we feel the building sits comfortably in its environment. The Client’s aspiration was to achieve BREEAM ‘Very Good’ which requires a significant reduction in carbon emissions.