Pollock Civic Realm

We created an award winning community hub through the design and development of a dynamic learning resource centre within a part new build/refurbishment Pollock Leisure Centre.

HM Prison, Edinburgh

We designed the library and learning facility at Her Majesty’s Prison Edinburgh by converting an existing workshop & gym into a new library.

Anglian Ruskin University

We created an exciting student hub by remodelling an under used common space at the heart of the campus into a vibrant new area.  Our brief was to create an area that was useful and welcoming to students and guests alike. The potential of this space was immediately apparent.

Located at the heart of the campus on the ground floor beneath a three storey atrium and next to the library, the location, access and natural light were exemplary. The problem was that it suffered from being seen as cold and uninviting. We created a direct opening between the space and the library proper. This encourages students to use the space as a discussion area and hot spot for internet access.  The colour scheme and furniture were designed to give the area a contemporary and much more dynamic feel. Behind the scenes we created a 3000sq ft open plan area to consolidate the library staffing area.

By bringing the library and this previously dead space together we created a more streamlined and efficient library function, making library usage easier and the habitat more inviting.

The Loop Learning Centre

This exciting project has completely transformed a former library and study space within this Further Education College. Over two floors, the challenge for the design team was to integrate the spaces and make the first floor easily accessible. We worked very closely with the client to gain a full understanding of how the college intended to deliver their learning services.

The final space is a series of areas designed and defined by the activity that takes place within it. We created an open, inviting area which allows students who are time poor, to quickly gain access and leave without entering the main learning centre. By contrast, the further you venture into the space, the more opportunities there are to ‘dwell’ or study in a formal setting. A mix of private or group study areas or hop on to one of the many PC’s that allow on-line access to course materials.

We used graphics to create a strong visual identity throughout the Resource Centre, and these help with navigation and way-finding for students, while creating a coherent brand identity.

Glasgow Caledonian University Saltire Centre

Organised over five levels and across 10,500 square metres of space, Curious were responsible for the £2.4million interior design and fit out of a dynamic learning and teaching environment.

We were given an open brief to create spaces that would engage and stimulate students and staff in every area of the building.  As a result we created 5 floors of innovative learning spaces, harnessing new technologies, implementing a wide variety of design elements.  Utilising innovative approaches was key and included a variety of semi private spaces from inflatable igloo offices, inflatable screens, canopies over tables, to utility walls that can screen off areas and provide technology for presentation.

Each floor was created with a different design metaphor. The ground floor mall is the city, a bustling, busy space with its service mall, 600 seat social learning space, café and all different forms of seating. The top floor is the living room, a quite chilled space for students to hang out in and read. We used colour and graphic schemes in every part of the building to influence user behavior. Where else can you learn to DJ, collect water in a desert, recycle, sign the alphabet and play a bunker shot just by going to the toilet.

The client best summed up the end result saying ‘we have created an inspirational venue for our students’.  Since then the centre has had over 900 international visits and won a raft of Scottish, UK and European Design Awards.