40 PROJECT REPORT: COMMERCIAL & WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTS


© Kirsten McCluskie


In terms of providing a “healthy” office, the focus was on linking to external spaces, and natural ventilation plus a shallow plan, and good daylighting


attachment in the city,” says Doody. A key move in the overall masterplan was to create a green, central north-south axis – the ‘Keel Line’ – running the length of the longest ship built in Sunderland. It will include the names of all of the vessels built here in paving and be a metaphorical as well as physical link to the city.


Doody explains further that there are “two shifting geometries within the masterplan, a more orthogonal piece [towards the east] which links into the city grid, but to the other [west] side of the Keel Line is an area that peels away. It effectively opens up a view towards the bridges, but also allows the masterplan to turn round and face the park.” The Beam sits at the


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centre of the plan, at 45 degrees to the keel line, its location in the plan leading to the creation of a four-sided form with an elongated ‘prow’ facing the river; its south elevation faces into a new public square. The upper level courtyard frames a view, albeit glazed against the elements, looking back to the Wearmouth bridge and the Stadium of Light.


A lean way to meet the brief With the city’s commercial market being challenging, and empty space and low rents a common feature, the clients needed to create a unique offer to attract tenants. So a lot of work was done early on with Creative Workspace Management, who are part of the Igloo Group, around the variety


ADF JUNE 2021


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