Ruff Architects has successfully completed Guildford Plaza, a comprehensive 11,000-square-meter co-living development featuring 301 residential units distributed across four buildings in Guildford, Surrey. The project includes 67 affordable housing units priced at 80 percent of market rent, with wheelchair-accessible accommodations integrated throughout the design.
The development sits on a 0.37-hectare brownfield site that had remained vacant for more than two decades. The location previously housed the Castle and Cannon breweries along with the Guildford Glass Factory. The site underwent multiple design iterations by MorrisCompany and Coffey Architects before Ruff Architects took over the project following the original contractor's liquidation in 2023. Henry Construction had initially been selected for the build, but Ruff Architects successfully submitted a non-material amendment planning application with revised designs to move the project forward.
The four buildings are arranged around a multi-level central courtyard and offer both private studios and cluster living arrangements ranging from 19 to 41 square meters. Residents have access to extensive shared facilities including a fully equipped gym, yoga studio, co-working spaces, gaming and cinema rooms, communal kitchens, a garden room, a podcast recording studio, and secure bicycle storage areas.
The development's design responds thoughtfully to its challenging topography, with the site sloping down 6.5 meters within a designated conservation area. The buildings feature varied massing and articulated elevations using a material palette of brick, clay tiles, and green accent details that pay homage to the site's industrial heritage. A publicly accessible courtyard showcases biodiversity-rich landscaping inspired by the nearby River Wey, connecting to internal spaces through large glazed openings.
Sustainability remains a central focus of the project, with green energy systems including air-source heat pumps helping the development achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating. The environmental performance includes air permeability of 5 cubic meters per hour per square meter at 50 pascals, annual CO2 emissions of 55.9 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per square meter, and a design life of 60 years.
Habito Co-Living operates the residential units, specifically targeting young professionals employed by major local organizations such as McLaren, Bentley, Royal Surrey and Nuffield hospitals, and the University Science Park. The development represents Habito Co-Living's expansion into the co-living market, drawing on extensive experience in student accommodation.
The site's development history includes a 2018 approval won by Duggan Morris Architects for a 100-unit retirement housing scheme for PegasusLife. The practice, which later rebranded as MorrisCompany, had originally proposed 105 extra care apartments on the former Burymead House site on Portsmouth Road. However, those plans faced delays due to more than 50 public objections concerning the development's scale, height, and potential impact on the nearby Grade II-listed St Nicholas Church and the Wycliffe Building.
In 2022, Guildford Council approved Coffey Architects' plans for more than 300 co-living homes for Tiger Developments. The client subsequently engaged Ruff Architects to modify the approved plans and oversee the project through completion. Construction began in August 2023, with completion scheduled for August 2025.
Paul Ruff, director of Ruff Architects, emphasized the firm's design-focused approach throughout the project. "Our design-led approach, through the non-material amendment, detailed design and site delivery, is a great opportunity to continue our successful construction focus on well-crafted and nationally leading residential schemes," Ruff stated. He highlighted the importance of respecting early-stage strategic and architectural decisions while maintaining authenticity through complex delivery stages.
Ruff noted the challenging nature of working on the constrained site following the previous contractor's insolvency, explaining that the fast-paced program required innovative solutions and careful coordination of procurement and long-lead items. "We topped out in a record six months for such a complex construction scheme and now have a really high-quality collection of new co-living buildings for Guildford and this very prominent town center site," he added.
John Nesbitt, managing director of Habito Co-Living and Tiger Developments, expressed enthusiasm about the company's expansion into co-living. "Guildford Plaza marks an exciting new chapter for us as we expand into the co-living market with our Habito Co-Living brand," Nesbitt said. "We've drawn on our extensive experience in student living to create a luxury-living, community-driven environment, designed for those who want flexibility, convenience, and connection."
The project team included KS4 as project manager, WhitbyWood as structural engineer, James Alexander Design for interior design, and ProMEP as mechanical and electrical consultant during construction. CField Construction served as both principal designer and main contractor, while BBUK provided landscape consulting services. The development utilized Revit CAD software and followed a design-and-build procurement route using the JCT 2016 contract form, though construction costs remain undisclosed.
