Rialto House, York
Encon Associates was appointed to provide Landscape Architecture Design and Ecology Consultancy services, for the Rialto House development in York, a major £50 million regeneration project that has transformed the former Mecca Bingo site just outside the city’s historic walls, into state of the art student accommodation for the University of York.
The project, developed by Olympian Homes and operated by Fusion Students, delivers 275 high-quality student bedrooms, comprising a mix of studios and cluster apartments. The new development is housed within two architecturally distinctive blocks that integrate contemporary design with York’s historic character.
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Client GMI Construction & Olympian Homes
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Location York
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Period 2022 – 2025
Landscape Design with Heritage and Sustainability in Mind
Our landscape architects worked closely with the design team to create vibrant, functional outdoor spaces that enhance the resident experience while respecting the city’s rich architectural heritage.
At the heart of Rialto House are two landscaped courtyards, designed to serve as active social hubs for students. These include a mix of hard and soft landscaping elements, with seating areas, biodiversity planting, and recreational zones. The courtyards were strategically positioned and detailed to maximise natural light, ensuring pleasant outdoor environments throughout the year.
Ecology Consultancy
As part of Encon Associates’ commitment to sustainable development, our ecology team carried out a comprehensive BREEAM ecological assessment in line with the project’s sustainability objectives. This included pre-construction habitat evaluations, recommendations for ecological enhancement, and monitoring to ensure compliance with BREEAM standards.
Delivering Sustainable Urban Living in York
Rialto House stands as a benchmark for purpose-built student accommodation that balances modern living, heritage sensitivity, and environmental responsibility. Encon Associates is proud to have contributed our landscape and ecology expertise to this exemplary development, helping to deliver a high-quality, sustainable environment for York’s growing student community.
Images kindly provided by GWP Architecture.
Encon are not your usual BREEAM consultancy. They are at the forefront of their peers, and have provided us and our clients with clear direction, guidance to deliver 2 “outstanding” schemes, with another 2 in the BRE Pipeline. The director level involvement throughout the process means you have real time access to a fantastic array of experience, guiding the team to step through the BREEAM process from design to delivery. The adjacent streamlined services in support of the submissions provides a one stop shop seamless delivery. We will look forward to working with them on many future projects.
