Three companies have signed on the dotted line as they set to expand their businesses within The Round Foundry area of Holbeck Urban Village. Once the cradle of Leeds’s Industrial Revolution, the development is now almost fully occupied with a thriving community of ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ creative and tech businesses.
SpaceInvader, an award-winning interior design agency which has studios in London and Manchester, has chosen the Green Sand Foundry as the home of its third studio. The design specialists, who have a team of 30, have already been delivering projects for Leeds-based clients and were recently tasked with helping Sky Betting & Gaming develop their new flagship digital base in the city. Spotting further potential for growth at a time when Leeds has identified creative and digital industries as a key growth sector*, the company has taken 4,313 sq. ft of space in the Green Sand Foundry, a unique, self-contained heritage building fronting Water Lane.
John Williams, Director of SpaceInvader said: “We will create a space that is more than just an interior design studio – it will be opened up to external creatives and consultants to come together in a purposefully collaborative environment. We knew we wanted to be in Holbeck Urban Village because it is home to many of the city’s most innovative companies, and the Green Sand Foundry is a beautifully designed building, sympathetically transformed for the 21st century, so it’s a natural fit for us. With the development plans for the South Bank, this is an exciting time for Leeds and we’re excited to be a part of it and to make a positive contribution to both the Leeds city region and the local design community.”
Also new to the area is Taste, a new sandwich shop and café born from the ideas (and appetites) of the team at Your Engine Room, which has been based in the Round Foundry Media Centre for six years. Opening in June, Taste have taken over the 968 sq. ft unit previously home to the Pickled Pepper.
Managing Director Ian Hargreaves commented, “The Round Foundry area is a fantastic independent foodie hotspot, so it was a no brainer to set up our business here. It’s such a busy area with lots of hard workers, many of whom need a speedy service that doesn’t compromise on quality. We think it’s really important to support fellow local businesses, so all our suppliers will be Leeds or Yorkshire-based firms. The Round Foundry has proved to be a brilliant place to start our first business; we can’t wait to open our second here and to be part of the engine that fuels the community.”
Urban Wilderness, a landscape architecture and master planning consultancy which specialises in the design and master planning of urban realm, residential, education and regeneration projects, is expanding for a third time within Holbeck Urban Village. Having outgrown its first two offices in the Round Foundry Media Centre, these design devotees have now signed a three-year lease to relocate to a 780sq ft. unit situated within Saw Mill Yard. The move follows growth in the company, which currently has seven members of staff and is in the process of recruiting two more.
Nathan Edwards director of Urban Wilderness said “it is great to have a standalone space which we can make our own. Saw Mill Yard has a great atmosphere and offers our staff a choice of places for lunch and relaxation on our doorstep.”
All deals were completed by Creative Space Management, acting as joint agent with Knight Frank. Fox Lloyd Jones acted on behalf of SpaceInvader.
Paul Taylor, director of Creative Space Management commented, “It’s fantastic that the Round Foundry area is still proving to be such an attraction to both new and established businesses. We’ve always wanted businesses to be able to set up here and then grow, which is exactly what Urban Wilderness have done, so it’s great that we can continue to offer the space for companies to expand within the area. It’s also encouraging that creative and independent companies like SpaceInvader and Taste are choosing The Round Foundry due to the area’s vibrancy and warmth.”
