One of the 'most iconic sites' of a Scottish town is to be transformed into student flats.

The former Kilrymont Road building of Madras College, which was purchased in 2021 by the operators of the Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh, is set to be transformed into a selection of self-contained studios and shared apartments for students.

The developers of SPACE St. Andrews say the development "aims to address an acute shortage of student accommodation in the town".

The team behind SPACE have released the first phase of their August 2024 capacity, with a full selection of studios and apartments available to reserve.

The redevelopment of the B-listed former high school will see the three-storey building repurposed to offer six different room types, as well as expansive areas for socializing, studying and recreation.

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All studios will feature a separate living/study area, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows, a waterfall shower with Corian vanity, individual kitchen facilities and plenty of storage.

Apartments will be available in 2, 3 & 4 bedroom options, all of which feature shared living, dining & kitchen areas. A limited number of the studios and apartments will have an option of a small private garden terrace.

 The developers have looked beyond the UK for inspiration for the development, with a particular focus on creating a “campus” like environment more commonly seen in the U.S. and Scandinavian countries.

A spokesperson for the design team said- “We believe that students need more than a room to call home and therefore we are developing a property that has shared communal spaces that will offer all students a place to go to socialize in the communal hubs, study within the library or private study pods, entertain friends within a private kitchen dining room or keep fit and active in the gym or recreational hall.

"To that end, the design team have focussed intensively on maximizing the recreational space offered at the site, with a particular emphasis on several external multi-use spaces, designed with both individual and team-based exercise in mind.

"The guiding principle of SPACE is to put our students front and centre of all decisions that are made at every stage of the development from creating contemporary and sustainable design-led spaces that are built to provide a quality home to call your own.”

The launch of the development is being overseen by Ashley Gibbons, who has held previous roles with University Of Edinburgh and Unite Students.

She said: "SPACE St. Andrews is truly a new generation of student accommodation, and we are thrilled to be launching it here in St. Andrews to cater to students of one of the world’s most prestigious and historic universities.

"We are excited to be opening the doors to our show flats at South St and also the site itself on Kilrymont Road to fully showcase our offer to our prospective residents and their families.”