York College – York

The City of York is famous for its medieval, Viking era type buildings and aesthetics.

But when you used to walk into York College, there was a dated look of the wrong kind. A modern and popular college, the first impressions you had when you walked in weren’t that great. You’d be welcomed by an 80s style pod-based reception desk, constructed of tired materials and it lacked any sort of contemporary feel.

It was in need of some urgent love and modernisation, so it was WSG Interiors that the college turned to, to bring the college entranceway right up to date.

WSG and the college got together on-site to assess the current layout and see what direction we could take things. With our Sales and Pre-Contract Design teams working in tandem with the college and CNG Ltd, we were able to discuss several ideas that would live up to everyone’s expectations of the entrance foyer. Using precontract design and some very careful project management the two parties agreed upfront very quickly, what the result should be.

It needed to look sharp, and it needed to look open. An inviting environment the people got a great first impression of, and a place that people wanted to be, and had access to modern tech.

The welcome desk and back wall are the statement piece, which grabs your attention as soon as you walk into the college. To give that awesome first impression, we devised a look which incorporated a timber slat effect, and the old pod-style desk was sent back to the 80s. That was great for the students, who wanted to feel that they were in a state-of-the-art college.

But it didn’t just look the part, it worked too.

The desk was large, and clearly signed. It had a spacious area for the receptionists to work with, leaving them with enough area for vital equipment such as a computer, phone system and admin essentials.  And then a little more.  So, the desk was never cluttered.

Under desk storage was more than adequate, with everything lockable due to the nature of being an open-style desk in a public area with hundreds of people passing through each day.

It made a real statement, one which was really justified due to the open plan high ceiling nature of the foyer, the combination of materials, along with clever signage, ensured that everyone knew they had arrived.

Combining the very popular use of veneered timber slats on acoustic foam, corian solid surface and mixture of laminates, we gave the desk a very contemporary look, that will stand the test of time for years to come.

Incorporating downlighting, to accent the timber slats and highlight the angles on the face of the reception desk, we brought the whole area to life, and the entire area changed into a cool reception area, fit for purpose at a well renowned college. The modern look was right up the student’s street. Complemented by an interactive wall for the student’s and tutors to engage in, WSG managed to tie together the space with a coherent look.

Once again it was a great team effect to get this project successfully completed on-time and in full. The connection between our in-house teams ensured the process ran smoothly. Our estimating team correctly interpreted the scope of the project returning a pricing mechanism that was accurate, within budget and with those under client quickly. And our joiners and manufacturing team on the shop-floor completed the job with ease.

The college and CNG Ltd loved the job, and they asked us to go back to complete some additional work and rectify a little bit of snagging that other contractors had left. We were happy to oblige as we enjoyed working on this job, it was our pleasure to help deliver a perfect college for York.

Need an uplift for 2022? Contact WSG to discuss how we can help.