A Derby smart building project delivered at Derby College Group’s Engine Room has been revisited two years after completion, highlighting how the space continues to support employer engagement, hybrid collaboration and future workplace thinking.
The Engine Room, located within The Roundhouse estate in Derby, was created as a dedicated business centre to strengthen Derby College Group’s links with employers across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Delivered with smart building technology from Derby-based Scenariio, the project brought together intelligent lighting, hybrid meeting spaces, room booking, workplace sensors, environmental monitoring and data-led insight.
Two years on, Scenariio has returned to the project through a new series of case studies, an insight article and an interview with Ian McCormick, IT Director at Derby College Group, to explore what happened after the space became part of everyday use.
Ian McCormick said:
“At the start, you’re focused on getting the space delivered. Two years later, you start to understand what it’s actually changed.”
Since opening, the Engine Room has supported meetings, events, employer engagement and collaboration, with colleagues and partners continuing to choose the Business Centre because of the quality and reliability of the environment.
Ian added:
“If we built another one today, it would look very similar. And that tells you something.”
Magdalena Thackeray, Marketing Manager at Scenariio, said:
“The Engine Room is a great Derby story because it brings together education, employer engagement, technology and long-term thinking in one of the city’s most recognisable settings.
“What makes the project especially interesting now is that we are not only looking at what was delivered, but what happened afterwards. Two years on, the space is still influencing how people meet, collaborate and think about future environments across the college.”
The wider content series includes the original case study, a two-years-on follow-up case study, an insight article and an interview with Ian McCormick.
Together, the pieces explore how smart building technology can support employer engagement, hybrid working, workplace behaviour and data-led space management.
The articles are available to read on the Scenariio website.
