THE PURPOSE-BUILT student accommodation scheme Enso was designed to encourage social interaction within a series of bright and airy interiors. Delivered by Melberry Development Management and Moorfield Group, the scheme features a mix of flexible ‘together’ spaces and spacious rooms, allowing students to enjoy views over the city, meet, study and relax.
Ekho Studio was appointed to design and deliver the interior finishes across the central areas. The design consultancy was also tasked with creating the look and feel for the scheme’s 282 student rooms, devising a colour palette that would tie in harmoniously.
Rachel Withey, founding partner at Ekho Studio, says: ‘It was fantastic to be a part of, especially considering we were given relatively free rein by the client. They were very open to doing something different and bringing a unique, contemporary and attractive identity to the space.’
For the concept, the team took inspiration from a sense of place, with a particular focus on Colchester’s rich and historic Roman past. Nature formed the second thread, with the surrounding countryside full of strong textures and dramatic forms and colours.
Withey says: ‘Our chosen colour palette fused Roman-era references with local natural colours and was a real celebration of earthy, warm tones. We emphasised the toasty burnt oranges and varying shades of pink that cloud and streak the traditional earthenware material of terracotta. Forbo’s Marmoleum flooring was the perfect material to help hone and ground this aesthetic concept throughout the scheme. Its environmental credentials were also very impressive, with sustainability another key cornerstone of the wider project’s ethos and design. The more we looked into Marmoleum, the more boxes it started ticking.’
Marmoleum is Forbo’s own brand of linoleum, manufactured from up to 98% natural raw materials.
Ekho Studio specified a range of colourways across the scheme, including Agate, Granada and Oyster Mountain from Forbo’s Marmoleum Vivace collection. ‘Every corner of Enso has been designed to celebrate and help protect its environment,’ says Withey. ‘We used a variety of sustainable materials across the scheme, including recycled wallpapers, cork as a sustainable material for joinery and feature walls, [and] living walls made from moss and terracotta tiles. Forbo’s durable, sustainable and natural Marmoleum fits in with this vision perfectly, acting as the grounding material that links the spaces together, helping to achieve a flowing form throughout the interior.’ www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/marmoleum
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