Hope Street Xchange

We were appointed by the University of Sunderland to lead a consultant design team for the provision of a new, private sector focused, Enterprise and Innovation Centre in the heart of Sunderland City Centre.

The state-of-the-art building provides bespoke, cutting-edge facilities to support the development of new business ideas and improvements to industrial processes. Small business start-up opportunities have been made available through the provision of adaptable office accommodation, supported by engagement with other local businesses.

The ground floor of the hub was designed to include a combination of social spaces and innovation laboratories, to be used for prototyping workshops and 3D printing, whilst the remainder of the four-storey building includes a mix of conference facilities, meeting rooms and flexible office space.

The development, which acted as a catalyst for the regeneration of the area, was highly complex, and comprises a large new building, but also involved the sensitive refurbishment of an existing Grade II listed building.