Woodbourn Connection

Year | 2018

Location | Darnall, Sheffield

Clients | Pakistan Muslim Centre, University of Sheffield Urban Studies and Planning Department

Our vision is to launch Woodbourn Connection as a new space that facilitates links between the local community and the University of Sheffield. Valuing the importance of physical and tangible change, this project is the first intervention of many in reactivating a previously underused building at the Pakistan Muslim Centre. Woodbourn Connection will become an inclusive facility for the community to expand their already thriving network of initiatives.

Physical Change

Transforming the reception, kitchen and hallway spaces as well as the entrances promoted the building and defined its identity. By organising multiple activities during the launch event, the building was instantly energised. The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) gave the public the opportunity to play with robots and 3D Pens, advocating engineering. We ran a design workshop and also displayed participatory idea boards that collated the thoughts of the community on what they wish to see in the space.

Future

We proposed a future vision for the space including long-term secured activities from AMRC workshops every school holiday to becoming Sheffield’s second urban room alongside Live Works. The space is now instantly bookable online through the website we created, and is instantly adaptable thanks to the prototype flexible partitions we built. We hope these proposals will continue the legacy of our project, using our promotional film to help maintain momentum and excitement. Please enjoy through the link below.