The Best in Class Awards were established in 2016 in order to recognize, highlight, and promote companies and initiatives at the forefront of student and shared living, working, and The Best in Class Awards were established in 2016 in order to recognize, highlight, and promote companies and initiatives at the forefront of student and shared living, working, and learning. In a young and learning industry, we find it important to honour thought leadership and encourage the exchange of bright ideas. We’re excited to share with you the top of the class – our industry-voted MVPs learning. In a young and learning industry, we find it important to honour thought leadership and encourage the exchange of bright ideas. We’re excited to share with you the top of the class – our industry-voted MVPs.
This year's award for Best Sustainable Student Property went to Student Experience Amsterdam Minervahaven. Their open-door policy towards competitors shows a willingness to collaborate and share valuable insights within the sector, making them an inclusive thought leader when it comes to developing and operating sustainable PBSA schemes and communities.
Each year, we recognise initiatives that have significantly improved student well-being during our Best in Class Awards. We're on the lookout for great examples of programmes that promote and enhance student mental health and create a vibrant community life in student residences. This year's winner of Best Resident Well-being Initiative went was Woonstichting De Key.
Their Startblok project clearly has social impact at its core, as it accommodates refugees and students at affordable rates, while helping them integrate into Dutch Society. Startblok is not only providing stability and mental/emotional support, but they are also creating a vibrant cross-cultural community that lasts a lifetime.
This year, we're proud to announce Hotel Casa Amsterdam as the winner of the Best Affordable Housing Initiative category. In these uncertain times, when it would be easy to choose profit over people, Hotel Casa Amsterdam has remained steadfast in its mission to serve students.
Here’s what one member of our jury had to say: “Hotel Casa’s hybrid hospitality / PBSA model has proven to be a successful product for over 60 years. The business model allows for the hotel rooms to cover lower rates for the student housing during the student terms and they have been able to maintain this model and lower, more affordable rates over the years. To me, this is a truly innovative project in regard to housing affordability, and one that can be scalable and attractive to both public and private partners and stakeholders.
The Best Student Housing Design Award category recognises ground-breaking student housing design with a clear understanding of function, form, and spirit. This category can relate to a variety of areas, such as the entire property, interior, a specific area, and/or landscaping. We’re looking for those spaces that have been meticulously thought out to match student resident needs.
This year's winner, YOUNIQ Linked Living TrIIIple, does exactly that. Their designs are not only impressive, but sleek and streamlined for a scheme of this size. The property includes a diverse range of private and communal spaces which can be used for a variety of functions by residents. The design ethos of being a ‘home away from home’ is well represented in several peaceful private spaces.
The Best Campus Development Award is our annual celebration of the campus, both physical and virtual, which successfully fosters a new knowledge ecosystem. Key traits for a stellar campus are innovation, sustainability, flexibility, and increased student satisfaction. The types of developments we heard from demonstrated innovation in facilities, technologies, buildings, services, programmes, environmental and social performance.
This year, we selected ErasmusX | Erasmus University Rotterdam as the winner of the award. According to one member of the jury: “This is a one-of-a-kind technology innovation when it comes to PBSA and any kind of shared living brand. The use of gamification to engage residents during the pandemic and to get students to feel for their new homes is both unique and exciting. The potential for these kinds of virtual reality experiences to enhance engagement and satisfaction is limitless, and it shows that ErasmusX is tapping into the needs and wants of Gen Z and global student populations.” Congratulations to Erasmus X and Erasmus University Rotterdam for the brilliant innovation your team has provided this year. We will now show a video highlighting this initiative.
The Best Mixed-Use Development Award recognises shared living developments that have successfully created the ultimate space and place for a variety of tenants and activities. Especially now with covid-19, we’ve seen a rapid increase in mixed-use developments that combine places to work, learn, and live. This year's winner was Woonstichting de Key. According to one member of our jury, “Lieven de Key prioritises creating an added positive value for the community, that at the same time also benefits residents. On top of that, the many initiatives that bring a diversity of tenants together are a fantastic way of fostering social cohesion
This year’s award for The Class Best Best PropTech Solution was sponsored by ASK4 Internet, who had this to say, “Technology has helped the multi-tenant market develop into a place where residents can live in smart, connected, and bespoke environments, and where operators can monitor and improve their buildings like never before. We are delighted to be sponsoring an award which celebrates the technology that is pushing the sector forward.” The winner for this category is University Living. Their AI-based tech has proven to be effective for over 1.5 million students since they launched. With high growth and several funding rounds, they are proving to deliver a high-quality platform for all university requirements.
Each year, the Best Young Talent Award recognises the shining stars within our industry. This is for those talents that go the extra mile each year despite facing unforeseen obstacles. To qualify, candidates have to be younger than the age of 35 and nominated by their employer or peers.
This year, we selected Lodewijk van Grootel of Greystar Europe as our winner. Said one member of our jury, “With impressive successes launching OurDomain’s first location, Lodewijk proves to be one of Europe’s top young PBSA talents. Leading large operations is not easy, and he able to do so showing impressive success metrics such as high occupancy rates, debt reduction, and more. His leadership has resulted in increased operational efficiencies and accuracy while substantially reducing manual labour and costs.
The Best Student Housing Property Award celebrates public and/or private student accommodation that exemplifies the ultimate environment for student living. The award nominees create the best potential for their students to learn, grow, and gain lifelong memories through its community, services, facilities, and design. This year's winner was Student Experience Amsterdam Minervahaven (who also won the award for Best Sustainable Student Property). Student Experience has a strong brand with strong customer satisfaction metrics. With a strong community engagement strategy that uses technology and community builders to host events like sharing circles, peer programme, study sessions and mini-festivals, Student Experience stands out in regard to their community building strategy. Congratulations to your whole team on this incredible achievement!
The Best Student Housing Operator Award is the biggest of our annual industry superlatives. This year’s edition was sponsored by ASK4 Ltd. Here’s what they had to say, “The Best Student Housing Operators are those who put their residents at the forefront of every decision they make when building and improving their properties, and who always strive for better. ASK4 is proud to be sponsoring this award, as well as helping operators deliver the best for their students.” The winner this year was Nido Student, one of Europe’s boutique PBSA brands. They have a strong brand identity, design aesthetic, and customer experience. With tailored services based on customer research and needs, they maximise well-being and connection. The integration of biophilic design, sustainable partnerships, technology, and wellbeing has led to strong customer satisfaction, occupancy rates, and brand loyalty.
