Smithfield is Belfast’s heritage heart — long overlooked, but rich with character and potential.

Our role was to develop a placemaking strategy that would restore its relevance and reintroduce it to the city with clarity, purpose, and care. 

We began by designing a framework for intervention — one rooted in place, people, and possibility — and established a steering group representing independent business, design, social enterprise, and heritage sectors to ensure community-led outcomes from the start.

We developed a namestyle and identity which looked to bring a renewed meaning to Smithfield — one that honoured its history while signalling a confident new chapter. The brand now incorporated the word ‘Yard’ - a nod to the restricted outdoor space of the terrace housing that in part makes up the area under development. 

Activation of the vision saw us curate a series of meanwhile uses that sparked footfall and curiosity: design-led pop-ups in the Butcher’s Building, a large-scale outdoor photography exhibition in partnership with Belfast Photo Festival and i-D magazine, and a set of literary installations exploring the area's layered past.

In partnership with the local council, we installed early-stage businesses, activating the  terrace units through the Vacant to Vibrant grant scheme, a tangible step toward economic regeneration with local impact.

Smithfield Yard placemaking  moves at the speed of trust — carefully, collaboratively, and with lasting social value. Smithfield is not being reinvented, but reawakened, and we’re not finished yet.

Visit Smithfieldyard website