Bouygues UK and Equitix Unveil LSE Bankside Plans

• Content
• News
• Bouygues UK and Equitix Unveil LSE Bankside Plans

01 September 2025

Plans to transform Bankside House into sustainable student homes have been unveiled by the development arm of Bouygues UK, working in consortium with Equitix.

The planning application for the new student residence is set to provide 1,944 bed spaces in central London for The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) students. There is currently a shortfall of LSE student accommodation, with 60 per cent of the 12,000 full-time students housed in private accommodation. LSE has a total of 3,888 bed spaces, of which 2,502 are under its direct control. LSE has committed to offering accommodation to every new first-year student. 

15 per cent of the new rooms will be provided at sub-market rents that meet the London Plan definition of Affordable Student Accommodation.

Carmody Groarke and Sheppard Robson’s designs show three stepped towers of 24, 26 and 28 storeys linked by two low-rise pavilions in an extensive public realm. The project will be delivered using Passivhaus principles, with the student accommodation targeting BREEAM Outstanding. The team is targeting low operational energy (c. 45–55 kWh/m²/yr) and aims to divert more than 99 per cent of construction waste from landfill. LSE is the first verified carbon-neutral university in the UK.

The ground level of the development will feature a Community Hub, intended to host legal clinics, skills sessions and volunteering services, as well as shared classrooms for local education partners, an LSE-run public café and an independent retail unit.

Subject to approval, works are due to commence in 2027, with Bankside House scheduled to open before September 2032.

Picture: a CGI showing the full height of the proposed three towers. Image Credit: Bouygues UK and Equitix

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 01 September 2025

Share

Related Articles