A catalyst workspace shaping a new future for Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway
Client Chesterfield Borough Council
Project Role Design
Scale 26,000 sq. ft
Status Complete
Chesterfield Borough Council set out to spark long-term regeneration at the town’s Northern Gateway, reconnecting it to the historic town centre and redefining a part of the urban grain that had been lost for decades.
The Enterprise Centre formed a key part of this wider vision. More than a building, it was intended as a signal of confidence — a public sector investment designed to attract businesses, create jobs, and stimulate further development. Alongside the building, a wider vision document and public realm proposals were developed to strengthen pedestrian connections and frame future growth. Viability pressures shaped the brief, demanding a commercially robust, flexible workplace that could evolve with tenant needs while meeting ambitious sustainability targets.
We designed a 26,000 sq ft, three-storey workplace providing 32 small and medium-sized office suites, supported by shared meeting rooms, kitchenettes, and breakout spaces that encourage collaboration and enterprise.
The building’s form and mass respond carefully to its context while safeguarding future development plots across the Northern Gateway site. Flexible elevations and rational structural grids allow office layouts to be reconfigured as businesses grow and change. Working closely with the wider design team, we aligned sustainability ambitions with commercial reality, achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating and embedding long-term operational efficiency into the fabric of the building.
Today, the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre sets a new benchmark for contemporary workspace in Chesterfield. It provides a platform for local enterprise, strengthens links to the town centre, and demonstrates how targeted public investment can unlock confidence, connection, and lasting urban renewal.
