The university has added 130 new rooms to their student houses. Set among lush greens, these rooms are unlike the university’s typical student flats. Called Student Pavilions Aan ‘t Verlaat, the rooms are all on the ground floor and open up to multiple courtyards.
The complex is a 10-15 minute bike ride from campus and connected by bus routes as well.
Of the rooms available at the pavilions, for the first one or two years, 81 will be given to international students. Following that, the rooms will be split evenly between Dutch and international students. “When international students opt to study in the Netherlands, we assume they want to meet Dutch people. To have combined housing will mix them up and help foster interaction,” says Simon van Zoest, Chairman SHS Delft.
The first batch of students moved into the pavilion on August 17. Once most students have moved in, there is an informal gathering to get things started. “We have a ‘meet your neighbours drink’ planned on September 2 where all the international students in our two projects can meet each other. This will take place in the multifunctional area in the Studentenflat Aan ‘t Verlaat, a large space for which we organised a design contest,” said van Zoest.
The rooms for internationals are fully furnished and have shared common facilities. The prices for Dutch students are 350-360 euros (unfurnished rooms) and 450 euros for internationals (including gas, water, electricity and internet).
The Student Pavilions are part of a housing expansion project by SHS Delft, a non-profit foundation for student housing redevelopment. In January they completed the first phase of their project- Studentenflat Aan ‘t Verlaat. This project is unrelated to housing agency DUO that has thus far had a monopoly on student housing in Delft.
It is the second phase of an ongoing initiative to take on abandoned buildings in Delft and reuse them as student housing. “This addresses two problems, the shortage of student rooms on campus and finds use for the huge amount of vacant buildings in Delft,” he said. The facility being used for this project was formerly a Dutch institution for mental health care. Surrounded by green spaces, there are several courtyards on the premises. “When we look at old vacant buildings, the availability of a garden and open space is very important. Of course, the building has to be structurally sound, installing a kitchen should be viable, and it should be close to a supermarket and not more than 10-15 minutes by bike from campus. Another thing to watch out for are windows – it is important that residents be able to open a window. In a lot of old office buildings that is not possible.”
With an expected increase in the number of international students joining TU Delft each year, future housing projects are being planned. “We’re already on the lookout for vacant buildings,” said van Zoest.
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