Private campuses are becoming an increasingly popular option for students across Romania, and they are looking for accommodation facilities that protect their health, according to representatives of Genesis Property, the owner of West Gate Studios campus and the 4-star Studio One Accommodation Suites.
Demand for accommodation in West Gate Studios, the first and largest private campus in Romania with an accommodation capacity for 1,600 students and young professionals, increased by 15% before the start of the new school year and occupancy is expected to return to 2019 levels in the coming period.
"The pandemic hasn't been easy for students or young professionals at the start of their careers. Their first academic year after Covid-19 changed the way they learn and socialize, and now, at the start of a new school year in which they will physically attend classes, in classrooms, more and more are looking for ways to protect their health while living away from home. However, the options are undersized compared to demand, which is why we are already seeing a wave of students securing accommodation before the start of the school year and focusing more on the benefits, comfort and safety that private campuses offer,” explains Cristian Slave, General Manager of the West Gate Studios campus and the 4-star Studio One Accommodation Suites.
As part of the campus community, students benefit from the comfort of fully furnished and equipped accommodation, increased safety (24/24 monitoring and security), programmes and activities such as sports competitions, theme parties and workshops. Moreover, since the pandemic started, additional cleaning and sanitation protocols have been implemented, aimed at increasing the level of health safety for students.
The private campus located in the West Gate Business District includes 800 studios and apartments with a total capacity of 1,600 beds, and students have access to a swimming pool, fitness room, event space, restaurant, library, parking, dry cleaning and private medical services.
“The offline side of student life is very important in preparing future professionals for the labour market. We cannot have good doctors, engineers, architects or lawyers without them having relevant real-life experience, both educationally, at the learning and practice stage, and professionally, at the beginning of their careers. Online learning can only complement the offline experience, but cannot replace it. That's why, at West Gate Studios private campus, our goal has always been to create a dynamic community where students can gain experiences for their future and develop personally and professionally,” added Slave.
Since 2015, West Gate Studios has been a member of the prestigious organization International Houses Worldwide, formed by operators of student campuses across all continents, under the same name – International House.
Genesis Property owns and manages over 150,000 square meters of Class A office space in Novo Park and West Gate Business District in Bucharest. The company launched IMMUNE Building Standard™, an innovative global standard that certifies the resilience of buildings to health threats such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Through IMMUNE ™, the company aims to contribute sustainably to the creation of the healthy buildings of the future.
