Member Article

Architect appointed for Blyth estuary site

Award-winning xsite architecture (xsite), the design team behind some of the region’s foremost regeneration schemes, will soon embark upon its transformation of the long-term vacant Commissioner’s Quay site in Blyth.

Arch, The Northumberland Development Company has appointed xsite as lead design consultant and architect to develop a masterplan and designs for three phases of building after a competitive tender earlier this year.

Located in the Blyth Estuary Enterprise Zone, the first phase in the regeneration of this exciting mixed-use landmark scheme, Blyth Workspace, will form the centrepiece of the development.

In October the North East Local Enterprise Partnership announced that Blyth Workspace was to receive an award of some £2.6m funding from its North East Investment Fund, marking the final piece in the funding jigsaw which has effectively allowed the scheme to begin.

Passionate about the region and preserving its heritage, xsite’s appointment allows the firm to build on its acclaimed approach to breathing new life into areas which have become under used over time and in their place creating high quality, well designed and sought-after commercial space.

Tim Bailey, partner at xsite, is delighted that his practice was selected. With the masterplanning element of the project well progressed, he is keen to begin the physical development of the site. He says:

“The site is a major opportunity for Blyth to revive its riverfront, attract some really substantial inward investment and additionally, to create some diversity of residential tenure within the new build housing element of the scheme.

“We were able to demonstrate important and relevant previous project experience, for example delivery of the Toffee Factory in the Ouseburn, which has won a number of awards, as well as our involvement in other key regeneration schemes in the region.

“Sustainability formed an important element of the briefing process which is wholly complementary to xsite’s own design philosophy. We always place a high priority on sustainability, drawing upon our substantial contribution to the built environment, the development of energy management strategies to assist low running costs and the delivery of projects with high levels of satisfaction, thus reducing the need for refurbishment costs in the future.

“We are very much looking forward to Phase One, Blyth Workspace, starting on site in the near future and bringing our design proposals to life.”

Located within a key economic development area, next to the National Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC), the site forms a major part of Northumberland’s regeneration strategy.

The design interpretation therefore has to be both sustainable and ambitious, as Peter McIntyre, Arch Group Managing Director, explains:

“This is a flagship project for Arch and this first phase of the development will help to further support Blyth Estuary’s reputation as a centre of excellence in renewable energy and as a prime location for inward investors, particularly those within the offshore energy sector.

“NaREC has already created momentum in this regard and the development of this site will continue to focus on Blyth as a place capable of making a major contribution to GDP within the region and as a location for new employment opportunities.

“We were impressed with the various proposals presented to us for this site, but xsite’s vision demonstrated both a deep understanding of the regeneration process and the flair required to significantly elevate this scheme so that the Blyth Estuary Enterprise Zone becomes the location of choice for renewable energy research in the North of England. In this way, we can attract international manufacturers into the UK.”

Blyth Workspace will sit within a landscaped setting and its serviced office accommodation of some 30,000 sq ft will offer occupiers a range of office sizes together with informal meeting and social areas as well as conference room facilities. Its location within the LEP’s Enterprise Zone confers additional benefits to investors as well as its proximity to NaRec and the Port of Blyth, which combine to make it a highly significant and attractive proposition.

Funding for the development has come from the North East European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013 (£2.977m); the Homes and Communities Agency (£2.5m) and NELEP North East Investment Fund (£2.6m).

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Leigh Chelton .