Learning centre for modern construction skills, integrating a restored VictorianLearning centre for modern construction skills, integrating a restored Victorianengine shed with a new build housing specialist workshops and classrooms.Key features include high-performance fabric, light-filled, naturally ventilatedspaces with acoustic attenuation, and low-carbon heating and cooling.

HICSA is located within a wider riverside regeneration area on an industrialsite near the Stadium of Light and a railway line, identified for future retailand residential development. Benefitting from Levelling Up funding, thecollaborative project between MOBIE, the North East Institute of Technology,and Sunderland City Council, delivers a facility for Sunderland College wherethe next generation can upskill in modern construction techniques in abuilding constructed using those same methods. A derelict Victorian engineshed was retained, saving embodied carbon. It was restored and integratedwith the new build, creating a generous double-height main workshop,additional electrical, woodworking (with dust extraction), and plumbingworkshops, and classrooms on the upper floors.

The building’s form, orientation, and layout are driven by environmentalperformance. A sawtooth roof captures north light for comfortable, glarefreeworking conditions while minimising overheating, with south-facingslopes designed to support future PVs. A flat roof between old and new buildaccommodates plant. Daylighting is optimised with a south-facing mesh and additional solar shading to the east and west. High-level clerestory glazingdistributes light deep into interior spaces. Natural ventilation is enabledthrough the layout and an innovative system that carefully coordinates airflowand acoustic attenuation. Quiet areas are located away from the railway.

Reversible air-source heat pumps provide low-carbon heating and cooling,with the building future-proofed for full transition to this technology. The building incorporates advanced lighting control systems and essential fire andsafety systems. External works included lighting, a substation, a bike store,and sprinkler tanks. Comprehensive energy metering ensures accountablemonitoring.

Exposed services, precisely detailed throughout, provide a refined finish thatreinforces the building’s industrial character, sympathetic to the surroundingarea. HICSA combines striking design and educational excellence, reflecting core principles of innovation, technology, and sustainability.

Awards

2025 - IStructE Northern CountiesIStructE Northern CountiesAwards for their structuraldesign, shortlisted