A group of students from The University of Leeds have won a design competition led by professional services and engineering consultancy, WSP, to develop a new masterplan that will transform Bishopsgate Goodsyard in Shoreditch into a mixed use development.
This year marks the fourth instalment of the design competition, also known as the Integrated Design Project (IDP_4), organised by the building structures team at WSP in partnership with The University of Leeds.
The Integrated Design Project allows students to use the skills they have learnt in their undergraduate years to design and plan the construction of a real life project. These can vary from designing 300m tall skyscrapers to entire village masterplans. This year’s competition saw eight teams of students design and develop a masterplan for Bishopsgate Goodsyard, a challenging site in Shoreditch with a large number of constraints including three existing rail lines.
As part of the challenge, the students had to design seven new buildings on the site, varying in height and use – from a low rise hospital to a residential skyscraper - whilst retaining 60% of the area at ground level dedicated to public space. A BREEAM rating of excellent or higher had to be achieved, ensuring a focus on innovation.
Three industry professionals from Multiplex, WSP and PLP Architecture chose Shoreditch Common as the winning project. It comprised a 157 metre tall Y-shaped tower with two linking sky bridges as the focal point, surrounded by mixed use residential towers, a complex cantilevering hospital and a number of office blocks. This complex design was conceived by Zoe Sparks, Tom Owen, Louise McAndrew, Emma Taylor, Vasileios Tilegrafos and Elmunzir Zaroug.
Comments Diego Padilla Philipps, associate in the structures team at WSP: “Our ongoing partnership with The University of Leeds enables us to engage with students and young engineers before they embark on a challenging career. The skills they develop with the IDP are invaluable, preparing them for work within the industry.”
WSP, which employs more than 440 staff at its White Rose office in Leeds, has provided engineering and consultancy services for a number of major schemes in Yorkshire including the £300 million mixed-used Kirkstall Forge development and the £80 million Tower Works scheme in Holbeck Urban Village in Leeds.