York St.John University students reimagine the Foundry

YoCo has had a long-standing relationship with the Interior Design course at York St.John University. In 2023 we worked with tutor Emma Ramsden-Sharman to explore creative responses to the Foundry buildings. Here’s how the students on BA (Hons) Interior Design Level 6 tackled it.

Brief / Future of work

Students were asked to consider the future of work and contemporary issues in workplace design. Key themes to be addressed in their design proposals:

o   When and how we work has become more flexible and adaptable

o   Where we work needs to enhance collaboration, creativity, innovation, productivity and a sense of community

The brief requirements were aligned with the aims of YoCo which has identified two existing buildings within the York Central development as potential incubators, to help drive their vision of economic life and the future of work. The buildings are former iron foundries dating from the 1870s, which produced cast and wrought iron components such as girders and roof trusses for the expanding Victorian railway network infrastructure. The buildings survive as reminders of a crucial aspect of York’s industrial history.

Students’ proposals

Students were required to connect their design proposals with York Central in ways that would help to enrich the development and meet YoCo’s aims. The work showcased here represents students’ responses to this brief, ranging from making and event spaces for creatives, an incubator space for school leavers, a bakery and food hall for start-ups, to spaces where local children can learn about growing food and for residents to grow and sell their own produce.

Commentary by Phil Bixby, Architect & Passivhaus Designer, YoCo

There was plenty of variety among the approaches taken by the students. A number gave really thoughtful consideration to use - linking with the buildings’ past and/or with the needs of the future community in this new part of the city.

Design images by Georgie Partington

An example of this is Georgie’s proposals to support food growing - with spaces for learning and selling, and connecting the inside of the building with the outside spaces - all based on a realisation of the importance of building local food networks in addressing poverty and inequality.

Design images by Lucy Holden

Lucy was one of a number who sought additional briefing information from York Creatives and produced design proposals which imagined the buildings as creative spaces - making use of the scale of the workshop building to create a mix of spaces of differing characters, including space which can be messy, while developing a design language including motifs linking inside and outside.

Design images by Emma Lakeland

Clear connection to the needs of a new community were shown by Emma’s proposals for a place for baking - while providing for what she called “the joy that food has to offer” in all its forms - making, sharing, eating, selling food. She - like a number of her colleagues - also considered branding and image, with the naming of the project as RISE sending all sorts of positive messages.

Overall there was frequently a solid connection with the materials and scale of the buildings - an achievement given the students were all working solely from plans and photos, as we had been unable to arrange a visit with the building owners. There was perhaps a little too much enthusiasm for ripping off the roof and replacing it with something more transparent - these are very fine roofs - but this can be forgiven perhaps as a wish to get more light and drama into the new interiors. There was also considerable thought given to the surrounding outdoor space and how this might shape approach and wider activities around the buildings - good to see such broad thinking among interior-focused designers.

The project has much of value - it shows how creative thought and design can take old buildings with a very distinct history and character and reimagine them in appropriate future uses - contributing to, and shaped by, a very different neighbourhood and community.

Image by Phil Bixby

YoCo’s proposed neighbour for the Foundry buildings - a mixed-use, high-density neighbourhood with public space largely for people to move around on foot would sit happily next to most of these proposals - the short walk to the bakery or the food co-op, or to a creative workplace - are all easy to imagine as things to look forward to in a future York Central. Many thanks to all the students and staff.

Links to the students’ work online and to information on the Graduate Show will be added as available.