Creative Centre
York St John University
Colour played a pivotal role in creating a landscape-led masterplan for the Lord Mayor’s Walk Campus. Winning a competition with Tate + Co architects we created the template for the Creative Centre with a building orientation and arrival route that aligns itself with the iconic York Minster. This rethinking of the campus created the ‘Long Quod’, a new organising social space that would open up the campus for future development including the recently completed Design Centre.
Through siting the new building to the north of the site and positioning the main entrance with easy access to the Students’ Union, YSJU main entrance and dining room, a new south facing focal space has been created on campus where students naturally gravitate to relax and socialise. The usability of this space was further enhanced through pedestrianisation of this part of the campus
In addition, new connecting paths help connect the campus with the wider residential neighbourhood, bringing together ‘town and gown’ and exposing all visitors to the site with nature at every turn, be it ponds, wildflower meadows or through biodiverse cycle storage units.
The Creative Centre at York St John University is a permanent home for the University’s music and computer science courses and features specialist spaces for performance, creative writing and media production students. It is routinely open to the wider community with regular events, shows and the annual York Open Studios every April.
Student wellbeing, promoting movement, socialising and nature are at the heart of this award winning project. This thinking has expanded out as Colour have undertaken a wider masterplanning exercise at the campus, setting out the long term spatial vision for ecological enhancement, formal and informal spaces.
Solutions were achieved through detailed engagement with the client and design team.
If you are interested in learning more about our experience creating biodiverse, social and active educational estate please email us here.
CLIENT York St John University TEAM Tate + Co MGAC RLF Atelier Ten Atelier One Sound Space Vision Sensory Trust Derek McKenzie Town Planning CONTRACTOR Kier STATUS in operation LOCATION York
CLIENT York St John University TEAM Tate + Co MGAC RLF Atelier Ten Atelier One Sound Space Vision Sensory Trust Derek McKenzie Town Planning CONTRACTOR Kier STATUS in operation LOCATION York
AWARDS Civic Trust Award - Highly Commended
York Design Award - Sustainability Award
York Design Award - Education, Community Award
Yorkshire Regional Award
Archellos 'Best Projects of 2022' year book
, RIBA Yorkshire Award 'Building of the Year' Winner) /'Client of the Year'
AWARDS Civic Trust Award - Highly Commended York Design Award - Sustainability Award York Design Award - Education, Community Award Yorkshire Regional Award Archellos 'Best Projects of 2022' year book , RIBA Yorkshire Award 'Building of the Year' Winner) /'Client of the Year'