ArchitectureM were appointed by Dreamloft to redevelop The College in Huddersfield into high quality apartments. The building had been derelict for some time before work commenced. Originally built at the end of the Victoria era, the building had served as large Victorian Villa, in the Highfields area of Huddersfield. Later the building had been converted to academic use, before Dreamloft purchased it.

Many of the original Victorian features were left intact, some fantastic ceilings were exposed behind false ceilings, and stained windows that feature Robin Hood remained. However many features had been ripped out, and poor remedial work had damaged the fabric of the building.

One of the main aspects of the design for the conversion of the building was to take an existing room, such as the drawing room, with its high ceiling, and generous plan, and rather than split the room, or knock it through into the adjacent room, ArchitectureM have created a whole apartment by the introduction of a modern intervention. Already the building has had a variety of uses, and the design approach taken was that as designers we were custodians of the building for the next part of the buildings life. As such any work that takes place on the building must respect the original, and any additions must be clear and distinct, but also be appropriate for the building.

To create the functions needed to create liveable apartments we have designed kitchens, bathrooms, with in many cases bed-decks that allow the main space of the original rooms to be read, allowing the main ceilings to flow continuously through the rooms. The new additions pay respect to the original proportions of the spaces, following the lines of symmetry, avoiding conflicts with the original windows, to generate a greater feeling of space within the original Victorian proportions.

Many of the 60's additions to the building have been removed such as a bridge link between the main building and the adjacent coach house, and a toilet block. During the course of site operations, many of the original features of the building have been rediscovered, and light has been brought deeper into the heart of the building, illustrating further features of the building.