Living on campus has been vital to a good education since the early days of universities. This experience not only promoted academic excellence, but also imbued students with the necessary skills for life and a network of life-long friends. Unlike other housing typologies which are for a wide demographic, student accommodation caters almost exclusively for 17 to 24 year olds. The architecture of student accommodation therefore is informed by the needs of this demographic, traditions of a university, its history, culture, governance, contemporary pedagogy and market forces. Although colleges and halls of residences have traditionally provided accommodation for students on campus, their relationship to a university and what academic and pastoral-care functions they provide, varies from university to university and from country to country. Universities such as Oxford and Cambridge have colleges and halls of residences that were formed by the university under a federated structure. These colleges and halls provide accommodation, and also performed all of the tutorial and formal teaching functions while the university conducted examinations and conferred degrees.
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