Silk Yard, Derby

The Silk Yard is a 50m residential development by Elevate Property Group, transforming a 1.55-acre brownfield site in Derby into a vibrant new urban destination. Located between the city centre and Derby railway station, and close to the historic Silk Mill — widely recognised as the site of the world’s first mechanised factory — the scheme carefully responds to Derby’s rich industrial heritage while delivering contemporary city living.

Delivered across three phases, The Silk Yard comprises 258 studios, one, two, and three bedroom apartments arranged across three blocks. The buildings are set around a central gated courtyard with parking, creating a secure and cohesive residential environment that will revitalise Liversage Street and the surrounding area.

The site’s brownfield condition and previous industrial use required careful ground investigation and foundation planning. In addition, the development sits within an area affected by flood risk, necessitating detailed flood modelling and a flood volume exercise to ensure compliance and long-term resilience. The scale of the three-block scheme and its phased delivery required a coordinated approach to foundations, drainage, and superstructure design from the outset.

Farrow Walsh designed an augured pile foundation solution tailored to the site’s ground conditions. A hot-rolled steel frame superstructure with composite floor construction was developed to provide structural efficiency and flexibility across the three residential blocks. A comprehensive below-ground surface water drainage strategy was implemented, integrating flood mitigation measures identified through the flood volume exercise. By aligning structural design with flood resilience and phased construction requirements, Farrow Walsh enabled the successful delivery of a major new residential scheme on a complex urban site.