Education
York St John University
Creating a London satellite campus for York St John University
1 Floor
6 Week Programme
10,000 Sq Ft
The Challenge
To develop a satellite campus where York St John University can develop a postgraduate community and set students up to be the leaders of the future.
The Solution
A Cat A and Cat B development within a contemporary building at East India Dock, with a variety of spaces where students can learn individually and collectively.
The Result
A welcoming learning space that propels students toward their career aspirations, aligning with their future ambitions.
Overlooking the hub of commerce and finance in the UK’s capital, we developed a state-of-the-art centre for the leaders of tomorrow.
In our second project working with York St John University, the team came to Maris when they sought to extend their London campus at the Export Building at East India Dock.
The location was set to be a postgraduate community, setting students up to be the leaders of the future, and making this hub overlooking Canary Wharf an ideal, aspirational location.
Building knowledge
The Export Building at East India Dock is an ultra-contemporary building featuring award-winning architecture that’s become a nexus for higher education as well as global and local businesses.
The style of the building is industrial and highly contemporary with a spectacular atrium as you enter and setting the tone for your experience.
We knew the building well having done a previous project there, which gave us an extra level of insight on which to support the works and the technical requirements of the job.
A variety of learning spaces
The university took the sixth floor in addition to another floor they already had in the same building. The new space was a significant size, and we were tasked with Cat A and Cat B works.
The focus for the university was about creating spaces where students could experience focused learning as well as areas in which they can connect and socialise whilst staying on site.
As a result, the space planning was a pivotal part of the process, ensuring students had areas for different purposes as well as providing capacity for the necessary number of classrooms and PC labs.
Once completed, the campus included a reception, classrooms, meeting rooms, small office spaces and student one-to-one rooms. The centrepiece is a large tea point and breakout space, which is central to the design, overlooking the O2 Arena, encouraging students to connect and build long lasting relationships.
Straddling the line between corporate and education
Aesthetically, we included a range of colours that mirrored the university’s other floor, but in more muted pastel hues. This was enhanced with innovative graphics on the walls, including wrapped columns, and an expansive use of greenery and plant life to give it a calm feel, supporting student wellbeing.
Although the campus is set within the realms of the corporate world, they were keen to ensure that it still felt like an education space instead of an office.
The result of the project is a welcoming and inspiring university campus that’s designed to attract students who want to be in the capital city as they prepare for the world of work.
The environment is distinctly educational and nurturing but also offers a launchpad on which to transition into corporate and business life, in one of the greatest centres of business and finance in the world.