St Cross College, Oxford

'Is it really student accommodation?  Looks more like smart flats to me,' was the comment of a local passer-by on Stonemason House in Magdalen Road, the newest addition to the range of accommodation provided by St Cross for its students. Photo by Marc WestNewly constructed in 2011 by the Oxfordshire housing association Soha Housing, the building was formally opened on 25 November by the Rt Hon Andrew Smith, MP, the Member of Parliament for East Oxford(on left in the photograph).  The opening ceremony was attended by several members of St Cross, including not only the present Master (centre) but also Professor Andrew Goudie(right), on the very last day of whose tenure as Master the agreement leasing the building to St Cross was signed. 

Andrew Smith admired the building and the high quality of the accommodation provided, as being a place conducive to calm work and a pleasant social life.  He said, "It's great to see student accommodation being developed by housing specialists in partnership with education providers.  There is scope for more schemes like this one."  The 44 graduate students are housed there in comfortable ensuite rooms, grouped into flats for 5-7 people, so in a sense the passer-by was absolutely right.