Students set to wow property summit delegates with city visions

As well as showcasing the city’s development pipeline, this year’s Derby Property Summit will once again provide a platform for the talents of the University of Derby’s architecture students.

Each year, Marketing Derby, the award-winning investment promotion agency that organises the summit, collaborates with the university to challenge the students to come up with new ideas and visions for some key city centre sites.

Once again, their stunning designs will be on display at the summit, which takes place on Wednesday 10 July at Reach Events, on Pride Park.

Created by students from the university’s BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology and Practice, BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Venue Design, and MSc Sustainable Architecture and Healthy Buildings courses, the designs focus on the North Riverside area of the city.

North Riverside is bounded by St Alkmund’s Way and the River Derwent, and includes Darwin Place, Derwent Street, Stuart Street and Phoenix Street.

It is part of the Derby Riverside character zone, included within the Derby City Masterplan.

Their work will be on display inside the main auditorium, which will be filled with a sell-out audience of almost 350 delegates, including business leaders, key decision-makers and investors from across the region and beyond.

Dr Boris Ceranic, course director for MSc Architectural Courses at the University of Derby, said: “The University of Derby architectural students have for many years worked together with Marketing Derby on some key challenging areas in Derby city centre, including Sadler Square, the Assembly Rooms, Market Hall and Osnabruck Square, Friar Gate Goods Yard, Becketwell and so on.

“This year, we have concentrated on the North Riverside site. The students were asked to come up with proposals for a sustainable, high-quality mixed-use development on brownfield land, which will fully exploit the riverside setting.

“Research for the Derby City Masterplan highlights a strong view that the city centre lacks green open spaces and blue infrastructure, contributing to negative perceptions of the city.

“The students’ brief was to design a new riverside setting with a vibrant waterfront pedestrian area within the heart of the city.”

This year’s Derby Property Summit is entitled ‘This Must Be the Place’.

Chaired by respected business journalist Declan Curry, it will feature a top line-up of keynote speakers and panellists.

Among the speakers will be Samantha McClary, editor of the EG (formerly Estates Gazette), which provides data, news and analytics for the UK commercial property market.

Also speaking will be Ojay McDonald, chief executive of the Association of Town and City Management, who is considered one of the country’s foremost experts on the high street.

Also confirmed to take the stage is the new leader of Derby City Council, Councillor Nadine Peatfield and Claire Ward, the recently elected East Midlands Mayor.

Also joining the Derby Property Summit 2024 line-up will be The Property Hub, which has identified the city as an “investment hot spot”.

The Property Hub is a popular podcast, aimed at property investors, hosted by Rob Bence and Rob Dix, who also write about property for The Sunday Times.

There will also be a panel debate featuring Tammy Whitaker, of Derby City Council, James Dickens, of Wavensmere Homes, Paul Morris, of St James Securities, Steve Parry, of ION Developments, Graham Lambert, of Vinci Developments UK, Atish Parmar, of Cavendish & London Property Group and Danielle Upton, of Smith Parthership.

In addition to Smith Partnership as headline partner, this year’s summit is also backed by associate partner AtkinsRéalis and brand partners Compendium Living, Willmott Dixon, ION Developments and Vinci Developments UK.

For more information about the Derby Property Summit visit https://www.marketingderby.co.uk/events/ .

To book your place e-mail Sarah McAllister at sarah@marketingderby.co.uk.