When Curlew Capital, a UK-based investment and development management company, were looking to refurbish one of its student accommodation sites into a more premium and boutique offering, they turned to Jasper Sanders + Partners. Looking to enhance the existing space and add a layer of sophistication to the building, whilst remaining conscious of sustainability, the interior designers turned to Forbo Flooring Systems.
Managed by This-Is-Fresh, 16-18 Potterrow Student Living is a Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) building for post-graduates with 151 studio apartments located 10 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley and opposite the esteemed University of Edinburgh Campus. Previously consisting of cluster flats, Jasper Sanders + Partners, together with ADP Architecture, were appointed to convert the building into a more mature and sophisticated space tailored to a discerning international clientele.
Jasper Sanders, Founder and Director, of Jasper Sanders + Partners, commented: “As a studio, we had previously designed the existing student accommodation some years prior. Our brief for this latest refurbishment was to transform the building from cluster flats to studios, with premium finishes to address the need for high-quality accommodation attracting an international post graduate demographic.
In collaboration with ADP Architecture, Jasper Sanders + Partners crafted a narrative for the building’s interior, embedding the essence of Edinburgh and the spirit of the Scottish capital within each space. The design places significant emphasis on the drama and contrasts inherent in the city’s rich heritage, creating an environment that resonates with its contextual roots.
Jasper Sanders + Partners specified a broad range of Forbo’s commercial flooring brands throughout the scheme. Rebecca Finney, Creative Director, who led on the vision and strategy for the building, explains: “We have a longstanding partnership with Forbo and frequently specify their products due to their versatility. For this scheme, where brand identity is expressed entirely through materiality and experience, it was essential to choose materials that not only ensured durability but also resonated with our design intentions.
“Forbo's ranges aligned seamlessly with these values, making it a natural choice to continue our partnership. The texture and colours of Tessera Cloudscape, specified in Stormy Weather, Mistral Gale, and Sirocco Blue, perfectly suited the scheme with their rich texture, depth of pattern, and colour. Our team specified this range for the communal corridors and lift lobbies to add contrast in both visual pattern and tactile feel to the flooring used in the main lobby. The distinct thresholds, highlighted visually and underfoot, were intentionally designed to introduce a sense of drama and playfulness, enhancing the transition between spaces.”
She continued: “As well as this, Tessera is very durable, easy to clean and reduces impact sound, ideal for a student living scheme such as this. It is also a modular solution, meaning that if any of the tiles needed replacing it is quick and easy to do so, without needing to replace the entire area. With sustainability in mind, Tessera felt like the right choice, being manufactured using 100% renewable electricity and the Cloudscape collection containing 61% recycled content by weight.”
Forbo’s Marmoleum was another floor covering used extensively across the entirety of the scheme, including within the studio apartments and entrance arrival area.
Rebecca continued: “In the entrance arrival area, we specified Marmoleum Real in the Dark Bistre colourway, a rich, marbled coffee shade with undertones of ochre echoing the notion of Scottish whisky, which ultimately created a sense of drama upon entry into the building. We also used Marmoleum Concrete within the studios, as this not only provided durability, but a neutral base too.
"While design excellence is a core value for us, we are equally committed to creating spaces that are thoughtfully crafted for both functional purpose and environmental responsibility. With Marmoleum being one of the most sustainable floor coverings on the market, and certified Climate Positive (carbon negative) from cradle to gate without offsetting, these objectives were met.”
As well as aesthetic-led specifications, Jasper Sanders + Partners equally considered functional requirements, as Rebecca explains: “Within the foyer, the studio specified Forbo’s Coral Welcome in Black Magic. This complemented the Marmoleum within the entrance and ensured a seamless transition, whilst also working cohesively with the wider material palette used throughout the scheme. Coral also performs incredibly well as a barrier matting, minimising the ingress of walked-in debris into the building, resulting in less cleaning and maintenance. Additionally, it is made from Econyl regenerated yarn, recycled PET bottles and manufactured using 100% renewable electricity, aligning with our in-house goals to select mindfully and as sustainably as possible.”
Forbo’s Surestep Original in the Eggplant colourway was also specified within the studio ensuites, providing slip resistance underfoot in potential wet areas for residents, as well as having one of the lowest embodied carbons currently on the market.
From the project's inception to the involvement of Jasper Sanders + Partners in Spring 2022, the scheme reached completion in Autumn 2024, receiving enthusiastic reviews from both building management and residents.
This project won the Public Choice Award at the inaugural Forbo Awards, with Jasper Sanders stating: “We’re delighted to have won Public Choice at the Forbo Awards. It’s a proud moment for the studio to be recognised by Forbo and the wider design industry for this landmark project.”
See the solutions Forbo offers for the student accommodation sector, here: https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-uk/segments/student-accommodation/p3uwfy
Photo Credit: Jasper Sanders + Partners & Gunner Gu
