Hallam completed construction on time and to budget, so that the hall welcomed its first intake of students in October 2006.

The hall, to be named after Mr John Foster, OBE, who recently retired as chairman of the University Council, is situated in the university’s tree-lined residential student village at Oadby, within a conservation area two miles outside the city of Leicester.

The 581 en-suite bedrooms have been designed to provide students with state of the art accommodation. The hall has been designed to create communities with shared living spaces, meeting both students’ pastoral and social needs, as well as providing the University with top quality conference facilities.

A panel of staff and students chose London architects Goddard Manton Associates to design the accommodation. One of the main reasons for being chosen was the inclusion of 29 accessible rooms with complete accessibility of the entire 5acre site having been central to plans from the start.

Pavilion shaped buildings contain flats of 4-5 bedrooms. Each flat has its own entrance and a communal kitchen with a high standard of security throughout.

The hall has been designed to minimise noise for students and local residents alike, with a dining room, bar, reception area and music, dance and drama areas facing towards the centre of the complex.