Students wow developer with leisure scheme designs

Students at the University of Derby have impressed the developer behind a major Peak District leisure scheme with their architectural designs for the project.

The students have shared their visions for Gateway at PEAK, which will be part of the 300-acre PEAK Resort, on the eastern boundary of the Peak District.

As part of developer Milligan and landowner Birchall Properties’ partnership with the university, undergraduate and masters level students responded to a live brief and were challenged to assume the role of architect on the project.

The students were asked to consider local communities, wildlife preservation, sustainable design with a net zero carbon objective, and respectfully incorporate the Peak District’s natural beauty into their designs.

After all the proposals were submitted, the Milligan development team shortlisted four finalists who were awarded a share of £1,000.

Dr Boris Ceranic, course director for masters programmes and centre of excellence leader at the University of Derby, said: “I was impressed by the quality of the work and particularly pleased by the way undergraduate and masters students have worked together as a team to deliver such complex and demanding design charrette briefs.

“The designs were inspiring, with highly sustainable and distinctive visions of unique visitor experiences, resolved through proposals that blurred the boundaries between the open and enclosed, solid and transparent, static and fluid, natural and built environment.”

One completed, the Gateway at PEAK will be the UK’s first fully-serviced national park gateway.

Paul Hanegraaf, creative director at Milligan, said: “I was blown away by the quality and thought put into each submission – especially as the students had little under a week to prepare.

“We have been developing the plans for the Gateway at PEAK for some time and will soon be announcing the architect we have appointed before revealing their plans later in the year.

“It’s wonderful to have input and inspiration from the next generation of designers, planners and architects – after all, it is that generation we’re building this inspiring place for.”