Students gain real-world experience during live White Rose construction project

Elliott Hudson College product design students toured the live construction site at White Rose Shopping Centre and have been set a coursework challenge to design a product that could help offset the environmental impact of the Primark expansion.

Product design students from Elliott Hudson College visited the live construction site at White Rose Shopping Centre while work is under way to expand the Primark store. Lindum Group is delivering the project for client Landsec, and Lindum's York Division hosted the visit. Students were given a guided tour and heard about logistics, safety and environmental responsibilities for working in a busy retail setting. After the visit, they were set a coursework challenge to develop a product that could be created alongside a development to help offset its environmental impact. Known details: - Students attended from Elliott Hudson College and were hosted on site by Lindum's York Division. - They received a guided tour of the live construction environment and spoke with Construction Manager Ben Marris about logistics, safety and environmental responsibility. - The students have been tasked with designing a product that draws on material properties to contribute positively to sustainability. - Lindum is delivering the Primark expansion on behalf of Landsec, and the White Rose team is coordinating works to maintain public access and minimise disruption around trading hours. - The Primark store will increase from 26,200 sq ft to 55,700 sq ft, the centre will remain open during the works, and completion is expected in 2027. Summary: The site visit provided students with hands-on exposure to how large-scale retail developments are delivered and how sustainability factors into those projects. They will now develop and submit product proposals as part of their coursework, drawing on the practical insights from the visit. The Primark expansion continues with work organized to reduce disruption, and the project is due for completion in 2027.