This year “1 Asset Management” opened two new student housing projects in Warsaw and became one of the three largest investors in the PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation) segment in Poland by number of beds. The rapid growth of the “CEE Student Housing Fund” in the country and the delivery of 1,100 beds to the Warsaw market secured a place among the top three players, alongside well known market names such as “Student Depot” and “XIOR”.

One of the fund’s key investors is real estate developer “Hanner”. “Hanner” has supported this investment strategy and has been the main institutional investor since the very beginning of the fund’s operations, starting with the construction of the first student housing project in Krakow.

“Today, Poland is one of the most attractive markets for residential investment. Strong demand and a clearly visible housing shortage create a real need for new projects. These conditions provide a solid foundation for long term investments,” says Arvydas Avulis, Chairman of the Board of “Hanner”.

The “SHED Sky Living” and “SHED Campus Living” projects, which opened their doors in Warsaw this autumn, have significantly strengthened the position of the “SHED Living” brand. “SHED Sky Living”, located in two former Lipowy Office Park office buildings, was fully transformed into a 733 bed complex within eleven months. The leasable area of the project totals 14,590 sq m. The property features two lounge areas, a cinema room, a gym, a games room, two shared kitchens, private dining rooms, work and meeting spaces, art and yoga studios, and a professional podcast recording room.

The second project opened in Warsaw, “SHED Campus Living”, was developed in the Mokotow district and became the first fully modular PBSA building in the city. It offers 347 rooms with 367 beds and a total leasable area of 6,892 sq m. The building includes shared leisure spaces, a gym, a games room, a communal kitchen, study rooms, and a rooftop terrace with panoramic city views.

More than EUR 80 million has been invested in the two projects. Both developments received substantial financial backing from Poland’s leading commercial bank, “mBank”, which provided over PLN 200 million in long term investment loans for the projects.

“More than 1.2 million students are currently studying in Poland, yet there is still a shortage of modern student housing. Warsaw alone faces one of the largest supply deficits in the region. That is why we view expansion here as strategic and long term. Our goal is to create a network of modern, professionally managed student residences where living goes beyond comfortable accommodation to include community and infrastructure tailored to the needs of students and young professionals,” says Matas Mockeliunas, Partner at “1 Asset Management”.

The development of student housing in Poland is strategically consistent. The country has one of the largest academic ecosystems in Europe, yet the supply of high quality, professionally managed student accommodation remains very limited. In Krakow, “1 Asset Management” has already opened a student residence with 721 beds, and the two newly opened Warsaw properties, together with projects under development, will further strengthen the company’s position in the market.

Currently, the student housing portfolio managed by “1 Asset Management” includes projects in Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, with a total of 2,712 beds under management. Over the next five years, the company plans to increase the number of operational student rooms to 5,000 and continue developing modern, high quality, community focused student residences in the region’s largest academic cities. In 2024, the fund attracted EUR 50 million in investment from the European Investment Fund (EIF).