BDN to relocate HQ to Sunderland’s Eastgate Point
The firm is becoming an occupier at its own £15m commercial development, and is also planning to convert its current base into apartments.
Eastgate Point is being delivered by Building Design (Northern) in partnership with Hewitson Group on the former Littlewoods site in Hendon.
The 125,000 sq ft scheme will comprise 19 industrial and commercial units across nine buildings, creating an employment destination with capacity to support more than 350 jobs.
The development has already secured occupiers including Gentoo.
BDN is an architecture, structural, and civil engineering practice with a 35-strong team, which will relocate from Old Simpson Street School to office space at the Commercial Road scheme later this year.
The relocation follows a period of sustained growth that has seen the business double its workforce over the past five years.
The headquarters move also marks the next phase in the redevelopment of BDN’s current base at the grade two-listed Old Simpson Street School.
Plans have been submitted to convert the existing office accommodation into six apartments, complementing the nine homes previously created within the northern section of the building. The property is also being marketed as an investment opportunity.
The announcement comes as BDN also prepares to relocate its North West team to new offices within another of its own developments, following the regeneration of the former police station in Ulverston into a mixed-use scheme.
Richard Marsden, managing director of BDN, said: “When we moved into Old Simpson Street School, it reflected the type of business we were then and gave us plenty of space to grow into.
“We’re now at a point of needing to relocate again to accommodate the growing team.
“But moving into Eastgate Point isn’t simply about needing more space. It’s about creating a headquarters that reflects where the business is today and where we want to be in the future…
“Old Simpson Street School has been a fantastic home for us and we’ve enjoyed being part of its story. As we’ve grown, however, we’ve reached the point where we need a purpose- designed headquarters that gives us the space and flexibility to continue developing the business.”
