About
Vian is a multidisciplinary interior designer and artist whose work blends culture, sustainability, and emotional connection. Her final project explores adaptive reuse through sensory, nature-inspired design. With a background in activism and international exhibitions, Vian uses space and art to tell powerful stories about identity, community, and care.
Project overview
Stott Park Bobbin Mill, The Timber Atelier
This project reimagines the historic Stott Park Bobbin Mill as a multi-sensory cultural space that honours its industrial past while creating a place for reflection, learning, and connection. Inspired by the textures, sounds, and rhythms of the site’s history, the design introduces a contemporary intervention that breathes new life into the mill without erasing its character. Drawing on concepts of parasite architecture, a lightweight structure bridges the old and new, forming glass-clad rooms that function as a public gallery and a quiet library. The design invites visitors to experience nature, memory, and craft through material choices such as sustainable timber, wool insulation, and tactile surfaces that evoke the spirit of the Lake District. This project blends sustainability, storytelling, and emotion to preserve heritage while shaping a space for future creativity and community.
The final hero image captures the full vision of the project — a harmonious fusion of heritage and innovation. It highlights the restored mill, glass restaurant, and skybridge, all designed with sustainable materials. Set against the backdrop of Windermere, the image reflects a space where history, craft, and nature meet to create a meaningful visitor experience.
This visual shows the front elevation, featuring the entrance and new skybridge linking the historic mill to a modern workshop. Made from reclaimed timber, low-carbon glass, and steel, the bridge supports sustainable circulation. A digital welcome screen at the entrance displays the mill’s logo.
This exterior visual showcases the blend of old and new, highlighting the original mill structure alongside modern additions like the glass restaurant and timber skybridge. The design celebrates the building’s industrial heritage while embracing sustainability, with reclaimed materials, low-carbon glass, and green landscaping that connects the site to its natural Windermere surroundings.
A modern glass extension to the mill houses the restaurant, featuring a preserved mill wheel, reclaimed materials, and views of Windermere. Original slate walls meet sustainable design, with solar lighting and a sculptural wooden ceiling for warmth and character.
The former storage room becomes a dedicated workshop for craftspeople, featuring new FSC-certified timber stairs with a low-carbon glass balustrade. A timber and glass skybridge connects it to the main entrance, while low-carbon glass walls and proper ventilation support a healthy, creative workspace.
