ERMC and Platform One combine to create the next chapter in sustainable fashion education.
At the centre of Newport’s historic County town, the Wadhams building, previously the home of Topshop, has become a campus for the Isle of Wight’s music college as it branches out to offer Islanders a new university-level Sustainable Fashion degree BA (Hons)
Located in the heart of the Island’s County town Newport, the Wadhams building had sat empty for two years after fashion chain Topshop was shut down. Before that it had been Wadham & Sons for nearly 130 years. And now, it has become Platform One's new creative space for a university degree course in Sustainable Fashion, validated by the University of Chichester, and one of the few places in the world offering such a course. P1 Wadhams has welcomed 10 degree students in its inaugural year, plus post-16 BTEC students.
Renovation took just over a year to transform the space into an environment where young creatives can learn and develop. ERMC designed the space to be modern while still promoting authentic and regenerative architecture, combining wide-ranging heritage details such as the original flooring, ceiling beams and with the original brickwork being exposed once again as the lead textural cue.
Renovation took just over a year to transform the space into an environment where young creatives can learn and develop. ERMC designed the space to be modern while still promoting authentic and regenerative architecture, combining wide-ranging heritage details such as the original flooring, ceiling beams and with the original brickwork being exposed once again as the lead textural cue.
The original building is made up of four floors. The top two levels had become derelict over the years, so the heart of the project and ERMC Managing Director Sarah Chatwins focus, and vision was renovation from the top down. These two floors are now being used as learning spaces.
Aligning with Platform One's ethos, this degree is a great move forward for the Isle of Wight. It is now the second degree offered ‘on island’ and one of the first in the country to focus on sustainability. Of course, for a sustainable course, you need a sustainable building! Net Zero and sustainable resources have been used throughout the building to align with the Councils Net Zero target for 2030, so that the building can be used for generations to come without interruption.