Leveraging Students’ Experiences and Perceptions in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation in Melbourne
Over the past decade, purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) has experienced rapid growth globally and in Australia, driven by increasing international student enrolments and rising demand for high-quality, well-located housing.
In cities such as Melbourne, this expansion has been particularly significant, positioning PBSA as a critical component of the student experience and a major contributor to the education sector’s economic and social landscape.
As PBSA continues to evolve from basic accommodation to complex living environments, expectations have shifted. These spaces are no longer viewed as purely functional but as environments that shape students’ daily lives, wellbeing, and sense of belonging. Despite this shift, the performance of PBSA has largely been assessed through technical metrics (e.g., energy use, thermal conditions) or limited user satisfaction studies focusing on isolated aspects such as indoor environmental quality (IEQ). However, these approaches do not provide a comprehensive understanding of how PBSA environments influence students’ lived experiences or whether they meet their evolving needs.
At the same time, existing research remains limited and fragmented, with a strong emphasis on single case studies or isolated environmental parameters. There is a lack of holistic, user-centred evidence that captures how IEQ and design attributes collectively shape students’ experiences, health, and satisfaction. This gap is particularly critical in the Australian context, where rapid development is occurring without sufficient evidence to inform design decisions or evaluate performance from the users’ perspective.
This research investigates the effectiveness of PBSA environments by examining how IEQ factors and design attributes influence students’ experiences and satisfaction. It builds on existing knowledge by prioritising students’ perceptions and lived experiences, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how these environments perform in practice.
The study aims to identify the key environmental and spatial factors that contribute to both positive and negative student experiences. It will investigate the topic through the lens of students’ experience and satisfaction within PBSA, with a focus on the Melbourne context.
Concise Research Questions
- To what extent do students’ perceptions of PBSA lead to positive and negative experiences within these environments?
- Among indoor environmental quality (IEQ) factors, which are the key drivers of students’ experience and satisfaction?
- Among design attributes, which are the key drivers of students’ experience and satisfaction?