City Hall Wows at BCO 2022 National Awards Ceremony
City Hall scooped two awards at the BCO 2022 National Awards Ceremony, winning 'Best of the Best' and ‘Best Corporate Workplace’.
The British Council for Offices Awards are a celebration of design excellence in office spaces, recognising design quality, functionality and innovation in workplaces.
In April of this year City Hall had been announced winner of the Corporate Workplace category at the BCO Regional Awards which then saw it go on to compete at the national awards against other regional award winners and also bid to win the property sector’s respected BCO ‘Best of the Best’ award.
City Hall was announced winner of both ‘Best Corporate Workplace’ and ‘Best of the Best’ at the BCO National Awards Ceremony on 4th October 2022. ‘Best of the Best’ is awarded to the project which is considered particularly exemplary and chosen from the national winners, a fantastic achievement.
The project has won numerous prestigious awards this year and the addition of 2 National BCO Awards is a true testament to the entire project team.
Desco were appointed to deliver the mechanical and electrical services design for City Hall, the new home of Sunderland City Council and a range of other public sector support organisations.
Built on the former Vaux site, which is part of the Riverside Sunderland Regeneration Masterplan, the new building was commissioned to replace the old Sunderland Civic Centre which had been the home of the council since 1970. Covering 190,000 sq. ft. City Hall is double the size of The Beam, the first building to be completed on the Vaux development which Desco also designed the M&E services.
The new ‘hub’ development comprises of two linked 5 and 7 storey buildings connected by a large glass atrium and features Grade A Office space, council chambers, courts, mayoral and political party offices, wellness suite, presentation and business lounge, 50 bookable meeting rooms, café and a roof terrace. A number of public sector partners join the council in the new development including housing provider Gentoo and the Department of Work and Pensions, owing to its contemporary, efficient design, geographical location and pleasing aesthetic.
Added value is provided through various energy saving measures, including specialist lighting, free cooling chillers and ventilation control. Occupant wellness was also a key priority with increased ventilation rates and natural daylight provided within the building. The design had been developed whilst being cognisant of emerging trends in the sector, allowing it to be easily adapted in the future. This will serve to maximise cost effectiveness and preserve the site’s longevity whilst still achieving the authority’s sustainability objectives.
The building was funded by investment giant Legal & General as part of a £100m commitment to Riverside Sunderland, which also paves the way for two more commercial buildings being constructed on the site.
The team included: FaulknerBrowns, Bowmer & Kirkland, Gleeds and Cundall