SOU Italy and University of Derby (UK) renew their partneship
The Interior Department at the University of Derby is currently working on the brief for the new academic year, and we’re excited to share the outline with you. We’d like to thank Paolo Emilio Bellisario, Melissa Di Giovanni and Michelle Haslam for their valuable collaboration and interest in the SOU project
“Learning Without Walls: An International Collaboration in Spatial Imagination”
University of Derby (UK) – SOU Italy
Learning Space in a Box — A Cross-Cultural Collaboration for the Future of Education
We are excited to renew our collaboration with the University of Derby for the 2025/26 academic year, continuing a partnership that has grown steadily over the past two years. This ongoing relationship brings together two institutions with a shared belief in the transformative power of architecture and design to shape learning, community, and imagination. Although emerging from very different contexts—Derbyshire in the UK and a constellation of towns and cities across Italy—the University of Derby and SOU share a common goal: rethinking space, heritage, and education.
After the success of the “Learning Desk” project, which ran over the past two years, we are now turning our attention to a new design challenge: the creation of a flexible and demountable “learning space in a box.” This project invites students to envision a portable, child-friendly structure that can support creative, collaborative learning experiences both indoors and outdoors. Designed for children aged 7 to 12, the space is intended for use at Cromford Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place of historical significance in the story of industrial innovation in the UK.
This collaboration is all about a unique setup where two different teams come together. The project is guided by both The Arkwright Society, which manages Cromford Mills and champions heritage-led regeneration, and SOU – Schools of Architecture for Children, which promotes child-led, participatory design processes. The two organisations offer complementary perspectives: one grounded in the preservation and revitalisation of cultural heritage, the other rooted in imaginative, future-oriented educational practices. Together, they provide students with a rich and multifaceted design brief that challenges them to bridge history and innovation through thoughtful, inclusive spatial interventions.
https://www.cromfordmills.org.uk/
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