Brooklyn Studios, a world-class student accommodation offering that boasts unique features, is preparing to open its doors in February in time for the 2023 university academic year.
The building, primely located only 75 metres from the University of Pretoria, is being developed by the Feenstra Group, who have, over the past years, developed high-quality, purpose-built student accommodation.
“Using our existing portfolio and our extensive knowledge and experience within the student accommodation sector, Brooklyn Studios provides the best of quality accommodation and students, from all walks of life, can choose various room typologies based on their budget,” says Pieter Feenstra, CEO of the Feenstra Group.
Life should not only be lived, but it should also be celebrated
The landmark building’s main focus is on the student lifestyle experience; a key differentiator compared to other offerings. While its impressive façade boasts interesting vertical elements depicting growth, it has also been designed around the five human senses and according to the EDGE green building criteria which provides ample green and warm areas, rooftops, and other open spaces with the ability to ‘spill out’ into large-screen areas, resembling a resort-type layout – a uniqueness that will enhance the quality-of-student-life significantly.
We don’t do average, we do awesome
Contemporary and fully furnished, Brooklyn Studios boasts 524 units spanning seven floors offering a range of upmarket student living options from single studios, duo, and trio apartments to large trio apartments with shared facilities, but all single occupation.
“From the option of total privacy to some interaction with friends sharing a lounge and kitchen, for example, the makeup of the building supports the various personality types and social requirements of students,” says Pieter.
Each room includes its own bed (with a mattress), a private shower and basin, a study desk with a chair, a pinboard and custom designed built-in cupboards and all of the kitchenettes are equipped a microwave, two-plate stoves, and storage cupboards.
The developers have also included a fridge-freezer combo plus a mounted 32-inch flat screen TV mounted in each of the units. “Fridges are expensive and tend to cause anxiety for students,” says Sboniso Msane, Marketing Manager for the Feenstra Group. “In our version of fully furnished student accommodation, we have included this to remove one of the many stresses that students face at the beginning of their academic year.”
Rentals start from R7 500 per month per student and include uncapped Wi-Fi, water, four laundry tokens, and up to R350’s worth of electricity (auto powered by generators during load shedding).
The variety of on-site facilities and activities, exclusive to residents, include:
- Computer lab
- Meeting / group study rooms
- Study hubs
- Green Room
- Lounge and TV rooms
- Mini-sports field
- Swimming pool
- Yoga square
- Rooftop chill space
- Braai areas
- Games room
- Indoor gym
- Kiosk
- Laundromat
- 24/7 security with smart access
- Secure basement and bicycle parking
None of us is as smart as all of us
Brooklyn Studios also forms part of a new perspective on learning and living. Not only is it purpose-designed for student life but it is also purpose-managed with all elements of the student experience considered. Through its carefully designed Student Life Programme, residents can look forward to 24/7 support from a dedicated Student Life Manager with a year-round calendar of programmes and events which cater to each student’s academic, sports, cultural and social needs.
“Brooklyn Studios is student centric, focusing only on enhancing the students’ academic requirements, social interaction, recreational facilities, cultural events, and privacy,” notes Pieter.
“Student accommodation in SA will have to deal with various challenges in the future such as balancing demand, affordability, quality, locality, investment returns and policy changes in order for all stakeholders to develop this sector further but we, as the Feenstra Group are committed to this sector and look forward to playing a meaningful role in developing and improving it in the future,” he concludes.
