The 180-acre, £7BN park town by Related Argent and Barnet Council has partnered with Fusion to deliver and manage new purpose-built student accommodation with 662 rooms in the new north London neighbourhood.
Fusion at Brent Cross Town, will be Fusion’s first development in London. The student accommodation brand creates positive spaces to inspire its student residents and has already successfully launched nine schemes across the UK offering over 3,500 beds. Fusion at Brent Cross Town will provide 662 private rooms in a design-led, high-quality environment which offers students a home that enriches and enhances their university experience. Fusion at Brent Cross Town intends to welcome student residents to their new homes in time for the 2024/2025 academic year.
The site, which has planning consent for the development of student accommodation, has been acquired by a joint venture between Fusion and Cheyne Capital, a leading real estate debt and equity investor. The student accommodation will be one of the first buildings to complete at Brent Cross Town and will be delivered alongside affordable, residential for sale and build-to-rent homes, as well as office, retail and leisure space.
As the first London site for Fusion, Brent Cross Town will provide an exceptional offering to its future student residents. Designed to be a ‘15-minute town’, it will have new shops, restaurants, amenities and leisure facilities, as well as 50 acres of green parks and playing fields all accessible within a 15-minute walk. As well as supporting thriving urban lifestyles, Brent Cross Town also offers exceptional connectivity to universities across north London and in central London. The new Brent Cross West Thameslink Station, which completes in December 2022, will connect to King’s Cross via London St Pancras Station in just 12 minutes.
Fusion at Brent Cross Town will offer an extensive mix of amenities including a dramatic multi-purpose tiered event space, coffee shop and zero-waste shop, a social lounge, a cinema room, e-sports arena and KTV karaoke room, as well as group study lounges and private study rooms. Fitness and wellbeing amenities include an onsite gym, yoga studio, basketball court, wellness studio and an external terrace. The building will also include two flexible commercial units on the ground floor.
Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, the new building will provide three connected blocks that range from nine to 22 storeys offering a variety of student rooms of different sizes and types, alongside communal amenity and recreation spaces. The three distinct forms of the buildings are expressed individually with varying heights, tones and materials while remaining as a collection that will complement the attractive, diverse townscape setting of Brent Cross Town.
Andre Gibbs, Partner of Related Argent, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Fusion and Cheyne Capital and to secure the provision for student accommodation at Brent Cross Town. Fusion represents the best in student accommodations and their commitment to quality of life is aligned with the ethos of Brent Cross Town. The arrival of the student community will be a crucial component in supporting all-day activity from the outset of the development and will enhance the neighbourhood.”
Councillor Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council, said: “By design Brent Cross Town will be a place for everyone with a mix of accommodation to provide for young, old, families and the business community, a mix that will contribute to a dynamic and thriving community. We are delighted to work with Fusion on this accommodation which will provide a first-class experience for students that want to live in Barnet.”
Ben Henry, Head of Acquisitions at Fusion added: “It is incredibly exciting for us to take the Fusion brand into London for the first time. We’re confident that the brand-new Brent Cross Town will make the perfect host thanks to its ambitious neighbourhood plans and inspiring vision. Our design for Fusion at Brent Cross Town reflects our commitment to creating positive living spaces that enrich and inspire whoever lives within them. We are developing an environment that will make you feel optimistic about your own potential and carve out experiences that give students opportunities for the future. We look forward to welcoming a whole new student community to this exciting area and watching it flourish for many years to come.”
Arron Taggart, Head of UK Investment at Cheyne Real Estate, concluded: “Student accommodation continues to be a resilient asset class and one in which we have considerable experience working, providing high-quality, purpose-built facilities for students across Europe. We are pleased to be furthering our partnership with Fusion to deliver this new development, which will be our sixth project together.”
