Sheffield University student wins £5,000 in £60m city centre development project competition

32-year-old Ethan Ellison, who studies MPLAN Urban Studies and Planning, won property company RBH’s competition which asked students to pitch ideas for Block 1 in its latest development – Pennine Five.

Ethn recommended the building on the formerly HSBC-owned site be a mixed-use development, taking inspiration from Asian cities and successful projects in Manchester and Leeds. In his submission, Ethan detailed how the building could act as an arts and culture hub, independent shopping mall and food and drink destination.

Ethan said: “I enjoyed this project – it was a really good way to do a placement and to get experience through a creative, boundary-pushing assignment that reflects what the future will hold if I get a job like that after university. To win is the best confidence boost, along with the real, tangible feedback I received from RBH.

"Pennine Five’s greatest asset is its city centre location where it can be a centre point for young professionals but the area, though well located, feels disconnected. RBH has a great opportunity to make the Cathedral district more attractive, more accessible, and altogether friendlier.”

The entire Pennine Five, or P5, development is said to be suitable for up to 3,500 workers across a 450,000 square foot campus. The £60 million project will provide office space, over 400 car parking spaces and over 200 cycling spaces.

Ethan said: “Planning and real estate is a global industry but so often determined by local policies and regulations so with my prize money I’m hoping to take my third year abroad and learn how they might do things differently in another country. The money is enabling me to get that wider experience.”

The final phase of the modernisation of the development site will be completed within the next 12 months, with the plaza expected to open in Spring 2023. Jeremy Hughes, director of RBH Properties, said: “We want the campus to go beyond the usual 9-5 and remain activated into the evenings and at weekends.

"We are considering lots of options to ensure the project is inclusive of art and culture, and committing to the creation of event spaces, both inside and out.”