For The Refinery, a newbuild student accommodation complex in Leeds, Jasper Sanders + Partners looked to create a fresh and contemporary interior design scheme that underpinned the site’s historic significance. With a variety of activity zones, Forbo Flooring Systems’ Tessera Cloudscape carpet tiles and Sarlon acoustic sheet vinyl were specified, helping to create a fully integrated and striking space that meets the demands of modern student living. The Refinery was a winning project in the Fly Forbo 2020/21 competition.
Built on a former industrial site near Leeds City Centre, The Refinery is a 397- room student accommodation complex providing high-quality apartments, shared living spaces and a whole host of amenities. Developed by Gregory Property Group and operated by Fresh Student Living, the interior of The Refinery was designed by Jasper Sanders + Partners (JS+P), who worked alongside AHR Architects and GMI Construction to deliver this market leading student accommodation project for specialist investor client, Curlew Capital.
Jasper Sanders, Design Director at Jasper Sanders + Partners, said: “We took a holistic approach to the interior design and the end goal was to ensure that we were creating a single building experience. The Refinery takes its visual cues from the building’s rich industrial heritage. Once a factory for the manufacture of machinery for the spinning of flax, hemp, jute and similar fibres, this is subtly reflected in both the external and internal aspects of the building. We used graphics, finishes and textures that reference the process of weaving yarn into fabric, creating a bold visual identity for the building.
“In student accommodation design, there are essentially two components: the apartments, where we have the private bedrooms, kitchens and living areas – spaces that students are able to make more personal – and then the ground floor, where we have the shared amenities. Today’s students demand much more than just a place to sleep and at The Refinery, we have included a series of carefully planned activity zones such as a quiet study area, garden room, lounge and games, gym and cinema room. It is here on the ground floor, where we believe there is more room for design freedom.”
Taking influence from the colours and patterns on the external architecture through into the interior, JS+P created spaces to motivate and inspire. Tessera Cloudscape carpet tiles played a prominent role in the ground-floor amenity spaces, where in the lounge and games area, the Stormy Weather, Cirrus Sky and Ocean Winds colourways were cut to size and fitted together in a weaving pattern, in line with the theme. This combination of colours worked well together and created a differentiated, fun yet functional area.
Jasper continued: “We wanted to create a flooring scheme that was strong and powerful, without being overbearing, and Cloudscape was perfect for this in a number of spaces as its unique visuals adds depth and interest to the floor – without being too intense. We took the three colourways from the games area and used them individually in the lobby, quiet study room, garden room and cinema room to generate a calmer and less distracting ambiance, to cater for the activities that would take place in those zones.
twitter.com/TContractFloors
MAKEOVER OF THE MONTH | 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
