Product design students have been set a real-world sustainability challenge following a visit to a major live construction project in Leeds. Students from Elliott Hudson College were welcomed on site while work is underway to significantly expand an existing Primark store at the White Rose Shopping Centre.

Lindum Group is delivering the project on behalf of client Landsec, which owns the shopping centre. The site visit was facilitated by Landsec, with students welcomed and hosted on site by Lindum’s York Division.

During the visit, the students were given a guided tour of the live construction environment and gained first-hand insight into how large-scale developments are delivered safely and efficiently within a busy retail setting.

As part of the session, the group had the opportunity to quiz Lindum York Construction Manager Ben Marris, who spoke about the practical challenges of working within a live shopping centre, including logistics management, safety considerations and environmental responsibility on complex commercial projects.

Following the visit, the students have now been tasked with developing an innovative product designed to help offset the environmental impact of construction projects.

Using their understanding of material properties, the challenge is to propose a product that could be created alongside a development and contribute positively to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

The initiative is designed to give students meaningful exposure to the construction industry, while encouraging creative thinking around sustainability, innovation and real-world problem solving.

Ben Marris, Construction Manager at Lindum York, said: “Opening our sites to students is a great way to show how the construction industry operates in the real world and to challenge perceptions of what we do.

“Sustainability is a key consideration on every project we deliver, so setting the students a task focused on offsetting environmental impact felt like a natural fit.

“We’re delivering this project in a busy, live shopping centre, which brings its own challenges, but it also provides a fantastic learning environment. We’ve been really impressed by the students’ enthusiasm and the questions they asked, and we’re looking forward to seeing the ideas they come up with.”

“I’d like to thank Lindum Construction for giving our Product Design students the opportunity to visit the Primark extension at the White Rose Shopping Centre.” said Product Design Teacher, Miriam Olutayo. “Hearing directly from industry professionals and seeing the construction process first-hand has been incredibly valuable, helping students link their classroom learning to real-world design, engineering and construction.”

Lindum is working closely with the White Rose Shopping Centre team to maintain public access and minimise disruption, while coordinating construction activities around trading hours. The expansion will increase the store’s size from 26,200 sq ft to 55,700 sq ft, with the centre remaining open throughout the works ahead of completion in 2027.