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Markets
Buildings & places
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Location
Newcastle, UK
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Client
Newcastle City Council
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Completion date
March 2024
Regenerating The Pattern Shop, a historic engine house
The Pattern Shop is a spectacular 1880s heritage asset from Tyneside’s industrial revolution. Owned by Newcastle City Council, the long-derelict Grade II listed building has been carefully restored and brought back to life.
This is the workshop where industrial pioneer Robert Stephenson built steam locomotives in the 1800s for export around the world, heralding the birth of the railway. Just as coal-fired locomotives were at the heart of the industrial revolution, propelling economic growth, today’s digital innovation is inextricably linked with sustainable and low-carbon energy sources, as exemplified by this restored building.
AtkinsRéalis provided cost management services on the low-carbon, community-focused office space.
The original building’s texture, atmosphere and industrial heritage have guided the renovation. Existing materials and fabric were retained/reused where possible. Despite its conservation-related constraints, The Pattern Shop incorporates sustainable technology, as well as low-carbon, low-energy infrastructure throughout the three-story building.
Operational carbon is reduced through a range of measures including electrical generation from PV with battery storage, and heating via air-source heat pumps. This provided a 30 percent energy reduction against the existing building’s performance.
The sustainability features previously described are augmented by wellbeing-focused measures: undercroft entrance planting, internal biophilic design for air quality, green roof, winter garden balconies, bat and swift boxes, cycle storage and showers.
The building’s condition was discovered to be even worse than anticipated, with unexpected design challenges encountered throughout the project.
The team had to proficiently manage the cost and time implications of resolving these issues, to ensure continued commercial viability. Careful management of the contingency budget was required.
AtkinsRéalis was key to the successful appointment of a new contractor, after the original contractor entered administration three months prior to completion.
A robust recovery strategy was implemented to complete the project. This included identification, mitigation and appropriate allocation of the risks associated with completing the works.
The conclusion of this process resulted in the project returning to site.
Completed in March 2024, The Pattern Shop accommodates up to 300 people and has attracted extensive tenant interest. The development will also deliver long-term social value through projects such as collaborations between tenants and the neighboring college, community grant contributions, and opening the building to the public to promote its story and heritage.
Newcastle City Council is retaining the building, now an income-generating maintainable asset that showcases the Stephenson Quarter’s potential as a fantastic mixed-use neighborhood. The project anticipates further development phases of the overall masterplan, centered around live/work/play themes and incorporating evening economy and meanwhile uses.
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Our team felt a genuine excitement and anticipation for this transformative project. There was ongoing communication with a wide range of additional stakeholders, including county heritage and archaeological experts, neighbors, and other stakeholders in the wider Stephenson Quarter regeneration masterplan. The resulting building is an excellent example of a local authority achieving meaningful reuse of an at-risk heritage asset; creating much-needed workspace and community usage potential.
Tom Borsoi
Managing Quantity Surveyor
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