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Innovative architectural design is an integral part of any high-quality commercial development, especially when part of a scheme includes speculative build.

Planning and creating industrial properties before they have attracted or secured tenants, in essence, means that excellence in architectural design becomes a critical key driver for success – the buildings must offer the right solutions at the right time for the right markets.

Award-winning architectural, structural engineering and project management practice, Building Design Northern Ltd (BDN), has ensured just that at Eastgate Point, a new 125,000 sq ft industrial park now being built on prime brownfield land in the North East of England.

The former 8.5-acre Littlewoods’ call centre site in Sunderland, established in 1955 as a depot for the Brian Mills company and later credit mail-order firm, Burlington followed by Janet Frazer, announced its closure in 2010 and has stood derelict since.

However, it is now being transformed into a £12m mixed-use scheme that includes a cluster of 19 energy efficient industrial units, a drive-to food and drink facility, and an EV charging station fully supporting the city’s green ambitions.

BDN’s placemaking design expertise, delivered on behalf of developers Promenade Properties with main contractors, Hewitson Group, has already attracted North East housing association, Gentoo to Eastgate Point. The company has announced it is to open a new state-of-the-art trade depot for its property services team in partnership with materials supplier, Jewson Partnership Solutions. Construction work has now begun.

Furthermore, the park will offer seven large speculative-build buildings, each split into 19 units with lease or purchase options to encourage business start-ups or growth. They range from 3,500 sq ft – 20,000 sq ft for B1/2 and B8 use.

The plans will meet current market demand for companies across multiple sectors as well as offer modern facilities to help attract new businesses to the city, whether for local expansion or as a new regional, northern or UK base for larger national and global organisations.

Ryan Doyle, Operations Director at BDN Ltd, commented, “Back in its day, this site was a hive of activity – it was home to Littlewoods’ call centre (Brian Mills) and the workplace of over 900 people. It is a prime location only minutes from the Port of Sunderland and the city centre, so to be able to bring it back to life and create a modern, bespoke and market-driven scheme that will meet demand, encourage wider business interest and new opportunities from other industries, boost the local economy and regenerate the area, was key.

“We had many considerations to take into account including different levels of the land, access to services and power, how we could maximise its overall sustainability and energy efficiency offering, and how we could achieve the maximum commercial footprint, amongst others. The site already had excellent connectivity in terms of transport links to major routes which is always a huge bonus for attracting inward investment, but with a residential area close by too, it was also important to create the right landscaping and improve the nearby streetscape.

“Eastgate Point is very much an architectural design-led development that delivers an ambitious vision as part of the city’s greater regeneration masterplan, so the team is very much looking forward to its opening and the next chapter as a busy commercial location. Remedial groundworks started in June, and the first stages of construction are now underway.”

Site construction and building works (phase one only) are anticipated to completed by Summer 2026.

Building Design Northern Ltd is one of the north’s leading full-service architectural, engineering and project management practices with a wealth of experience spanning industrial, education, healthcare, automotive, local authority and residential sectors. It has offices in the North East and North West of England and clients include British Steel, Durham Animal Feeds, the University of Liverpool, Sunderland City Council and Vertu Motors amongst others.