Interior Design Students Submit Plans For New BBC HQ

Second-year BA (Hons) Interior Design students have taken advantage of an opportunity to leave their mark on the brand-new BBC Wales headquarters at Central Square, Cardiff. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Central Square is part of a huge regeneration scheme in the city centre that will transform the area. The building designed by Foster & Partners will be a prominent part of the redevelopment project which includes offices, retail units and residential accommodation. The new BBC HQ will be home to 1,200 staff from the existing broadcasting house in Llandaff as well as a smaller broadcast team for S4C. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Excellent industry contacts brought forward by the School of Art & Design invited BA (Hons) Interior Design students to present to BBC Workplace and Sheppard Robson Architects new ideas and creative designs for the workspaces in the brand-new building as a part of the BBC Workplace Student Design Competition Brief. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Heddus Davies, BA (Hons) Interior Design course lecturer, highlighted the significance of working with the corporation. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The students have an invaluable opportunity to be a part of a wider competition brief on a professional level. They have the chance of their designs being implemented as a part of the exciting new BBC development. It has also been a way of establishing an all-important connection with industry partners and representatives,” he said. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The brief asks the students to focus on four elements within the design of the new workspaces, each being led by prominent industry specialists. During the project development the students had the opportunity to visit two of the manufacturers in Orangebox and Bisley. They also presented their concepts at an interim session with Angela Gidden, who is co-ordinating the project. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

BA (Hons) Interior Design student Kate Powell described how it felt to be involved. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Being a part of such a significant project I see developing daily as I leave Cardiff Central station, definitely makes it more exciting,” she said. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As it is a live brief the urge to create a design that will hopefully wow the client such as the work colleagues of the BBC and also the community of Cardiff is even greater than any brief before. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This project, in particular, has definitely given a clear insight to the industry and has helped prepare for what hopefully is to come after my degree.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The competition submission is February 20, with judging on February 27. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​