The Priory, Leeds
Refurbishing 57 studio apartments in a characterful historic student residence
Project overview
The Priory is student accommodation at Springfield Mount in Leeds. Homes for Students describes the property as a converted Edwardian monastery with 77 rooms and retained original features including stone doorways, fireplaces, staircases, leaded windows and timber beams.
CJ Joinery worked across two main refurbishment phases covering 29 and 28 studio apartments. The existing rooms varied, so the installation team had to combine repeatable production-style fitting with room-specific adjustments where the historic building and existing services differed from the standard layouts.
Key figures
- £135k
- CJ Joinery package
- 57
- Studio apartments refurbished
- 29 + 28
- Two main refurbishment phases
- 77
- Total rooms at The Priory property
- Install only
- CJ Joinery package
- Historic building
- Converted Edwardian monastery
- Leeds
- Springfield Mount location
Scope of works
CJ Joinery delivered an install-only package. The main works covered 57 studio apartments together with later kitchen and shared-area works. Key installation elements included:
- Kitchen units, worktops, upstands and splashbacks
- Fridge, microwave and extractor housings
- Bed frames and bedside units
- Wardrobes and storage cupboards
- Drawer units
- Desks and wall shelving
- Breakfast bars and associated fitted units
- Mirrors, notice boards and coat-hook pattresses
- Bathroom shelving and concrete-effect worktops
- Additional shared and lower kitchen installations
- Later staff kitchenette works
The challenge
The biggest challenges were complex deliveries and the reality of fitting standardised furniture and kitchens into an existing historic building. Room dimensions and existing service positions were not always identical, so some kitchen layouts could not simply be installed exactly as originally planned.
With dozens of studios being refurbished, inefficient deliveries or repeated searching for components could quickly slow the programme. The team also needed to make sensible room-by-room adjustments without disrupting the overall visual consistency of the finished accommodation.
Our approach
CJ changed the delivery strategy so that complete apartment packages arrived together rather than components being delivered in a way that created unnecessary sorting and double handling. This allowed each room to be loaded out and installed more efficiently.
Where existing conditions prevented the standard kitchen configuration from working, the team adjusted the position of units on a room-by-room basis and coordinated the final layout around the available space and services.
Particular strengths included:
- Apartment-by-apartment delivery and loading strategy
- Room-specific setting out before installation
- Flexible adjustment of kitchen positions to suit existing conditions
- Efficient high-volume installation of fitted furniture
- Close coordination with Cardinal and the wider refurbishment team
- Consistent finish across rooms despite variations in the existing building
Outcome
CJ Joinery successfully completed the 57-studio refurbishment package and the associated later kitchen works. The project is a strong example of the company's ability to combine volume installation with practical site problem-solving.
The team's strongest performance came from all three key areas: organising deliveries so complete apartment packages arrived together, adapting kitchens and fitted furniture to individual room conditions, and installing a large volume of joinery efficiently across the building.
Frequently asked questions
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