Sunderland City Hall won ‘Best of the Best’ and ‘Corporate Workplace’ at the BCO National Awards 2022. This iconic building is part of a larger scheme, the Riverside Sunderland Masterplan, aimed at regenerating the wider city centre.

Judges praised Sunderland City Hall as an ambitious project that will help transform and rejuvenate the city, “the vision and design quality are aspirational whilst remaining accessible and welcoming to all which is a huge achievement.” The development will be a symbol of growth, providing services to the local community and expecting up to 7,000 visitors every week.

Ian Cansfield, Director of Planning and EIA, commented, “City Hall has been a great project for many of our teams at Cundall to work on. It has been really refreshing having a client that has been focused on delivering a vital hub for local services and a great office environment for their staff. To have been involved from the inception of the project has been fantastic and it's wonderful to see the recognition it is now receiving."

Built in accordance with WELL standards, the building incorporates many key aspects, such as natural lighting and a wellness suite, that promote the health of its occupants. City Hall was also developed with Cundall’s sustainable principles in mind. One strategy involved the installation of an air source heat pump which greatly reduced carbon emissions and energy costs. Overall, our designs have reduced the building’s embodied carbon performance by approximately 20% compared to an average office.

Gary Marshall, Partner said, “We are thrilled that Sunderland City Hall has won at the BCO Awards. Cundall has been working on the Vaux site since 2014 and the City Hall is a great landmark that drives change and progression.”

To learn more about the other winners this year, head over to the BCO website.