Brand new for September 2024

At UAL we are always listening to our students and looking for ways to improve their experience when living in our halls so that we can try to accommodate the varied needs of those who wish to stay with us.

We are pleased to announce that for the 2024-25 academic year we are trialing a new Quieter Lifestyle Scheme in Archwood House and Sketch House for students who would prefer to live in a quieter environment during their time in our halls.

A small number of rooms in each of the selected halls will be reserved for the scheme, so if you have accepted an offer of accommodation in those halls, you are now invited to register your interest to live in a Quieter Lifestyle Room from September 2024.

Below you will find:

• Our FAQs on the scheme
• A link to the form to register your interest in taking part in the scheme
  

What is the Quieter Lifestyle Scheme and what does it entail?

For the new scheme, we will try to group together like-minded students who wish to live a Quieter Lifestyle during their stay in halls. One way to think about what it means in practice is to compare it to the quiet carriage on a train, where individuals choose to sit in the quiet space and by doing so, agree to keep sound levels to a minimum and be mindful of other people within the carriage.

As part of the scheme, we would expect students to reach an informal agreement or set expectations among themselves. We would also expect any visitors to your accommodation to adhere to the informal agreement as well. Formal restrictions cannot be implemented when you live in quiet accommodation, but Residence staff will be available to assist and support residents if issues arise.

What is a Quieter Lifestyle?

The details of what Quieter Lifestyle means in practice will be agreed between the flatmates upon moving into the flat. However, to give you an indication of whether it's something that would suit you, a quieter lifestyle may include some or all of the following:

• Being mindful of your other flatmates and their individual needs.
• Keeping music and television between an agreed level within common areas of the flat, and within your room.
  
• Not being on the telephone within common areas.
  
• Keeping sound levels within your room below a certain level on a regular basis
  
• Agreeing to a minimum number of guests to the flat at any one time, to keep sound levels low.
  
• Not having parties within the flat.
  

Unfortunately, external and environmental noise are often beyond our control in relation to this arrangement. However, students being impacted by this can still reach out to their Residence Manager for support.

Who can apply?

If you have accepted your offer of accommodation at Archwood House or Sketch House, you can apply to take part in the Quieter Lifestyle Scheme. Anyone who would like to live in a Quieter Lifestyle room within those halls can register their interest. As it is a trial scheme, there are a limited number of rooms available this year. The rooms will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and may be dependent on specific personal and medical needs.

Please note that your halls offer cannot be switched to another hall (even if we are operating the Quieter Lifestyle Scheme in that hall as well).

Where will the scheme take place?

The Quieter Lifestyle Scheme will be trialled at Archwood House and Sketch House during 2024-25. If the scheme is successful, it may be expanded to more halls in the future. For now, these are the only halls where the Quieter Lifestyle Scheme is available.

Will there be a price difference if I live in a Quieter Lifestyle Room?

There is no additional cost to take part in the Quieter Lifestyle Room. The cost of your room will remain the same as per your agreement with the hall.

How do I register my interest? 

If you have accepted your offer at either Archwood House or Sketch House, you will receive an email to register your interest in a Quieter Lifestyle Room.

If there is insufficient demand from applicants, then please note we may not be able to run the scheme this year. Please note that by registering your interest in the scheme, you are accepting the values of the scheme.

When will I know if I will be placed in a Quieter Lifestyle room?

We endeavour to let you know as soon as possible. Our aim is to confirm all places by 16 July. If the demand for these rooms exceeds our availability, we may operate a waiting list. However, this is yet to be determined and will depend on the number of students who register their interest.

What if I register my interest or I am successful in getting a Quieter Lifestyle Room, but then I change my mind?

That is fine. Let us know as soon as possible and we will do our best to move you to another room, elsewhere in the building.

What happens if I move into a Quieter Lifestyle room and then decide I want to live elsewhere?

You will be able to request a room move via your student portal. Room moves are subject to availability. 

Will I need to sign an agreement to take part in the Quieter Lifestyle Scheme?

No, you will not. We will however ask all flatmates to sign a Quieter Lifestyle Charter for the year which sets out what you have all agreed to and will be on display within the flat. As with all in-house issues, you can always approach your Residence Manager if things do not seem to be working out.

How much support will we get from the staff at the hall?

We expect that the Quieter Lifestyle Rooms will be self-governing, and everyone will respect the lifestyle of their flatmates.

At the start of the year, your Residence Manager will meet with you and your flatmates to go through what your expectations are and open this conversation with you all. We would hope that you can all agree on some ground rules to manage all your expectations and to live by together.

Students taking part in the scheme will also be supported by the committee leads within the hall. The community leads will regularly check in with the residents in the flats to ensure the all is going well and that the students are happy.

As with all in-house issues, you can always approach your Residence Manager if things do not seem to be working out.

If you have Quieter Lifestyle rooms, does that mean that the rest of the hall is noisy?

No, not at all. However, we appreciate that there are many varied living experiences in all our halls of residence, so we want to try to offer a comfortable home to every student who stays with us.

What room types are included?

At Archwood House the rooms available are:

• Standard Shared
• Standard Ensuite

At Sketch House the rooms available are for students with a 50 week tenancy agreement in the following rooms:

• Standard Room
• Large Room
  

I’ve accepted an offer of accommodation in a hall that isn’t taking part in the Quieter Lifestyle Scheme, can I change my hall?

No, you can’t. As this is a trial scheme for the year, we can only offer the rooms to those who have accepted accommodation offers within Archwood House and Sketch House. Any extensions of the scheme to other halls, and other changes, would be from the academic year 2025-26 when the scheme may be expanded. 

Want to know more about this event? Get in touch:

Email: hallslife@arts.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0)20 4586 3219 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

Instagram: UAL_HallsLife