UC currently offers 2,800 beds in both self-catered and catered options from first year through to postgraduate level. Our new development, due for completion in 2026, will increase our offering to first year students.
Tupuārangi
Construction is due to begin on a new student hall of residence, Tupuārangi , to further support our growing student population at UC. This brand-new purpose-built facility will provide fully-catered accommodation to 283 students, featuring single ensuite rooms and social spaces.
Tupuārangi has been gifted its name by the local iwi Ngāi Tūāhuriri. The building will be located next to Tupuānuku on the border of the Ilam heritage garden. The design will bring the gardens into the building to provide a safe, peaceful retreat that supports the health and wellbeing of students. It will also have a cultural narrative imbedded into the design features of the building, creating design that celebrates the weaving together of the Ngāi Tūāhuriri aesthetic and local stories.
Tupuārangi is one of the nine stars sometimes associated with Matariki. Tupuārangi (Atlas) has a connection to food and growth. ‘Tupu’ or ‘tipu’ means ‘to grow’ and rangi is taken from Rangi – the Sky. Therefore, Tupuārangi is associated with food and elevated resources harvested from the forest and found in the trees. It includes fruit, berries, birds, and invertebrate.
Collectively these narratives provide a rich, unique cultural foundation for how we nurture our students and provide them with the navigational tools they need to navigate themselves out into the world.
For further information contact:
Abigail Frederikse
Accommodation and Campus Life Manager
Waea: +64 3 369 3205
Īmēra: tupuarangi_queries@canterbury.ac.nz
