TiggColl Completes Canvas Arthur House: A New Benchmark for Next-Generation Student Living

Wembley is no stranger to regeneration, but Canvas Arthur House, the latest addition to Greystar’s growing Canvas Student portfolio, signals a more thoughtful, design-driven direction for student accommodation in the UK. TiggColl has completed the interior architecture of this 770-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), delivering a scheme that is warm, highly tactile, and rooted in wellbeing. The result is a project that confidently redefines how students live, study, and connect in London.

Canvas Arthur House stands as a beacon project within Greystar’s pan-European ambitions, setting a new standard for how PBSA schemes can support both lifestyle and learning. Across its standalone amenity podium and 20-storey residential tower, TiggColl has crafted an environment that feels authentic, grounded, and notably elevated; a true home-from-home designed with intention and care.

A Design Approach Grounded in Wellbeing

TiggColl’s interiors are shaped around six core design principles: connection to nature, social connectedness, physical activity, mindfulness, nutrition, and sleep. These pillars inform every spatial decision, resulting in communal areas and study spaces that feel intuitive and genuinely supportive of modern student needs. Rather than relying on bold gimmicks or trend-led aesthetics, the design prioritises longevity, quality, and the creation of memorable, restorative experiences.

The ground floor is conceived as a sequence of flowing spaces, including reception, lounges, co-working zones, study rooms, meeting suites, a gym, and a yoga studio, all guided by the building’s dynamic splayed geometry. The linear open-plan layout encourages movement, yet each zone holds its own identity. Social lounges transition seamlessly into quiet corners; generous communal study tables sit adjacent to more private nooks; and every area feels thoughtfully zoned without sacrificing openness.

A Pavilion of Light and Connection

One of the defining gestures of the project is the sculptural spiral staircase at the heart of the podium. More than a circulation feature, it acts as a light well, pulling natural daylight deep into the ground floor and drawing residents upwards to the first-floor pavilion. This upper level is a quieter, more contemplative environment; home to landscaped podium terraces, an events lounge, and a beautifully designed private dining room for gatherings and student celebrations. It’s a shift in atmosphere that underscores the building’s focus on wellbeing, reflection, and connection to nature.

Rich Materiality and a Refined Interior Palette

Materiality plays a crucial role in establishing the sophisticated yet approachable character of the scheme. Across the ground floor, TiggColl has blended rich cherry timber panelling with honey-toned oak flooring, paired with warm whites in the paintwork and tiling. This creates an enveloping and grown-up base palette that immediately distinguishes the project from typical student living environments.

Vibrancy emerges through carefully curated moments, including inbuilt and freestanding furniture, artwork, textiles, and accessories, which ground the interiors in the energy of their urban context. More saturated tones animate the reception and welcome lounge, while softer colours take over as you move deeper into the plan, reinforcing the transition from active to calm zones. Even the bespoke joinery follows this tonal journey, subtly guiding residents through the building without relying on overt signage.

Open mesh ceilings contrast with solid soffits, revealing glimpses of the concrete slab above. This interplay of raw and refined elements gives the spaces height, rhythm, and a contemporary character, while naturally defining circulation routes and communal areas.

A Warm and Personalised Approach to Student Living

In the 20-storey accommodation tower, room typologies range from standard to premium. Across all categories, TiggColl has focused on creating a warm and personal atmosphere. Timber accents, soft furnishings, and muted colour palettes echo the amenity spaces, bringing cohesion and a sense of belonging. Built-in shelving and thoughtful headboard designs encourage residents to curate their environment, reinforcing the idea of a personalised, comfortable home rather than temporary accommodation.

Each corridor and room holds a distinct personality, yet the overall scheme retains strong continuity. The result is a building that feels both cohesive and highly liveable.

A Vision Rooted in Community, Quality and Sustainability

Speaking about the project, David Tigg, founding director at TiggColl, explains:

“Our ambition was not only to create a series of interconnected and best-in-class amenities for Canvas Arthur House, but to provide an authentic and sustainable home-from-home experience for residents studying in London. The spaces throughout are designed to create new singular and collective experiences, and many unforgettable moments.”

From Greystar’s perspective, Canvas Arthur House represents a strategic step in delivering future-ready student communities.

Lauren Gilling, design director at Greystar, adds:

“By combining high-quality design, extensive shared amenities and a clear focus on sustainability, Canvas Arthur House lays the foundation for a resilient, future-ready student community. The TiggColl team has gone above and beyond to bring this vision to life.”

All photography: James Retief

A Model for the Future of PBSA Design

Canvas Arthur House demonstrates how student accommodation can meaningfully enhance the lives of its residents through design that is considered, compassionate, and experiential. TiggColl’s approach rejects the conventional model of PBSA interiors, instead embracing a richer, more domestic palette; a spatial arrangement that supports both activity and reflection; and a commitment to wellbeing that feels sincere and essential.

With its layered materiality, intuitive layout, and light-filled architectural moments, the project stands as a compelling benchmark for what next-generation student living in London, and across Europe, can and should be.

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