Student accommodation in London isn’t what it used to be – at Magenta House, at least. This set of three stand-alone buildings – in Zone 1 and just around the corner from Brick Lane – houses undergraduates in 187 study bedrooms grouped into ‘cluster’ flats of different sizes, each with shared living and dining spaces.

The five and six-storey buildings share the same crisp, white rendered exterior, punctuated with bronze-coloured aluminium full-height windows and slatted panels whose variable spacing generates interesting shadowplay. At ground level, a rough granite plinth deters graffiti and provides a contrast to the smooth white upper storeys. An earlier design provided for 160 bedrooms.

With better internal planning, we were able to make room for 27 (17%) more, which made for satisfied stakeholders and 27 more happy London students.