towards a growing emphasis on location potential shift in ‘soft’ factors…this location preferences of companies from to with the global ‘hard’ ‘soft’ transformation from a Fordist, production-based economy to a post-Fordist, knowledge-based economy. However, it may still be argued that both hard and soft factors play a significant role in a location choice (Musterd and Murie, 2010; Dainov and Sauka, 2010). company’s There is much evidence that those working in the creative industries are attracted to historic industrial buildings (Zukin, 1989; Drake, 2003; Hutton, 2006; Heebels and van Aalst, 2010; Smit, 2011), this attraction can be seen to be driven by two major factors or characteristics. For Champion (2010) it is a in terms ‘hard factor’ of an economic prerogative, generally the cost of renting a unit in a former industrial building is more cost effective than renting newly constructed units. As Champion states (2010:14): Underlying this is the idea that cheap space and corresponding cultural diversity are vital ingredients for developing creative businesses. Low-cost space offers opportunities for flexibility and grow-on space, which is especially important in high-risk, undercapitalised industries. The second factor is the design and architecture of the buildings in terms of the availability of large open spaces, their high ceilings and large windows that flood the space with natural light. Hutton (2006:1834) asserts that older building structures are attractive for new industrial enterprises with configuration, durability their, ‘physical and embedded construction building scale qualities…material attraction…external and style and internal building These characteristics or attributes of configuration’. the buildings are as important now for the new creative industries as they were in the 18th Century when the Strutt and Arkwright adapted Lombe's design. For Landry (2005), the combination of the hard and soft characteristics of many former industrial sites, once conjoined, generate what Landry (2005:2) defines as a ‘creative and that this infrastructure supports innovation, incubation of infrastructure’ businesses and the development of communities of creativity. In assessing the continued re-use of Darley Abbey Mills it is important not only to assess the ‘hard’
towards a growing emphasis on ‘soft’ location factors…this potential shift in location preferences of companies from ‘hard’ to ‘soft’ with the global transformation from a Fordist, production-based economy to a post-Fordist, knowledge-based economy. However, it may still be argued that both hard and soft factors play a significant role in a company’s location choice (Musterd and Murie, 2010; Dainov and Sauka, 2010). There is much evidence that those working in the creative industries are attracted to historic industrial buildings (Zukin, 1989; Drake, 2003; Hutton, 2006; Heebels and van Aalst, 2010; Smit, 2011), this attraction can be seen to be driven by two major factors or characteristics. For Champion (2010) it is a ‘hard factor’ in terms of an economic prerogative, generally the cost of renting a unit in a former industrial building is more cost effective than renting newly constructed units. As Champion states (2010:14): Underlying this is the idea that cheap space and corresponding cultural diversity are vital ingredients for developing creative businesses. Low-cost space offers opportunities for flexibility and grow-on space, which is especially important in high-risk, undercapitalised industries. The second factor is the design and architecture of the buildings in terms of the availability of large open spaces, their high ceilings and large windows that flood the space with natural light. Hutton (2006:1834) asserts that older building structures are attractive for new industrial enterprises with their, ‘physical configuration, durability and embedded construction qualities…material attraction…external building scale and style and internal building configuration’. These characteristics or attributes of the buildings are as important now for the new creative industries as they were in the 18th Century when the Strutt and Arkwright adapted Lombe's design. For Landry (2005), the combination of the hard and soft characteristics of many former industrial sites, once conjoined, generate what Landry (2005:2) defines as a ‘creative infrastructure’ and that this infrastructure supports innovation, incubation of businesses and the development of communities of creativity. In assessing the continued re-use of Darley Abbey Mills it is important not only to assess the ‘hard’
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