The first student housing complex, Proxima, on Zernike Campus was festively opened on Friday, July 12. Developed by Jebber, the complex accommodates 401 students and can house up to 802 students during peak periods. The rooms are 18m² in size and feature two beds, including a fold-out bed. This fold-out bed helps alleviate the housing shortage for international students in Groningen, allowing them to temporarily share a room while searching for their own place. Read the full article, published by the municipality of Groningen, here.

On Friday, July 12, the first student complex on Zernike Campus, Proxima, was festively opened! Developer Jebber symbolically handed over the keys to the new complex to SSH. The complex accommodates 401 students and can house up to 802 students during peak periods at the beginning of the academic year.

During the opening, attendees could view the new student rooms, which are 18m² in size and feature two beds, including a fold-out bed. "The fold-out bed provides a solution to the annual room shortage for international students in Groningen," said Monique Louwes, manager of the North team at SSH. "International students can book this bed if they haven’t found a room yet. They will temporarily share their room with another student while they continue searching for their own place."

When students book a bed in peak accommodation, they are matched with their roommate based on gender and share the rental costs. Both regular beds and peak accommodation beds can be easily booked through the SSH website.

The construction of the student complex addresses the urgent need for additional housing for international students in Groningen. Councilor Rik van Niejenhuis stated, "I am pleased with the opening of Proxima, a great step towards the vision of Zernike as a vibrant city district. Zernike has everything: living, working, business, amenities, and, of course, studying."

Proxima was built in a relatively short time thanks to the good cooperation between the Municipality of Groningen and SSH. It is intended for international students studying at the University of Groningen or Hanze University of Applied Sciences. The complex features various facilities, including communal kitchens, a shared laundry room, and plenty of green space for students to enjoy the outdoors during summer.

The Groningen Student Union (GSb) looks forward to the first students moving in from August and the completion of Proxima. "This will greatly help students," said Ken Hesselink, chairman of the Groningen Student Union (GSb). "It's great that all involved organizations worked so hard to make this happen."

Hans Biemans, Vice President of the Board of the University of Groningen: "We are delighted with the addition of 401 rooms that can be scaled up during peak periods. Students have the opportunity to share rooms, which fits our vision and that of the Municipality of Groningen. We are a hospitable city and a welcoming university, offering space for everyone who wants to study during the most formative time of their lives."

Proxima was built by construction company Plegt-Vos Noord on behalf of SSH and with developer Jebber. The student complex consists of biobased wooden housing modules. Plegt-Vos designed the housing modules in their own factory and then assembled them on-site, resulting in a short construction time and minimal disruption to the surroundings. The modular construction method allows the buildings to be dismantled and relocated in the future.

The Municipality, along with the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences, has an agreement with SSH to build on Zernike Campus. This is temporary housing for a period of 10 years, located on Zernike Campus near Zernike Park and Koegangen.

Source text and images: gemeente.groningen.nl 
Photographer: Bert Lanting