ALLFORD HALL MONAGHAN MORRIS

Progress continues at Founders Place as Newcastle City Centre regeneration gathers pace

Two leading design teams announced to support next phases of the mixed use development

Momentum is building at Founders Place, a mixed use development in the heart of Newcastle, where plans are progressing to deliver new workplaces, homes and public spaces.

A talented multi-disciplinary team – AHMM Architects, Plan IT, Arup, Avison Young and RBA – has been appointed by developer igloo Regeneration to deliver One Founders Place, a visionary office scheme located at a key gateway to the wider £137 million Founders Place development.

The striking ten-storey building will offer c.130,000 sq. ft sustainable, Grade A office space designed to foster wellbeing and productivity and is located close to the site of George and Robert Stephenson’s pioneering locomotive works, where the world’s first purpose-built engine factory was established in 1823. Designed by RIBA Stirling Prize-winning practice Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM), One Founders Place will offer high-quality, open plan, contemporary office space with multiple outdoor terraces offering panoramic views across the cityscape. It will be one of the most significant and exciting additions to Newcastle’s office supply in the last decade.

​Progress is also advancing at the neighbouring Orchard Yard, where enabling works – including the clearance and remediation of disused structures – are now well underway. Here, a second newly appointed design team – Faulkner Browns, Camlin, BGP, Desco, and heritage consultant Sarah Dyer – will develop the next phase of plans for the residential scheme that will introduce new family homes, apartments and green public spaces into the city centre.

Supported by One Public Estate brownfield funding, the Orchard Yard project will bring new purpose to the derelict land that has long been closed to the public, while supporting the city’s housing and sustainability ambitions.

These latest milestones build on the successful partnership between igloo and Newcastle City Council, which previously delivered the regeneration of the neighbouring Pattern Shop – now home to online retail bank Atom, following the relocation of its 600 employees.

The wider Founders Place redevelopment is being delivered through a joint venture between igloo and Newcastle City Council – and sits within the Stephenson Quarter urban regeneration area. The broader masterplan combines contemporary new housing, high-quality office and creative workspaces, with accessible urban courtyards; all complemented by temporary uses such as pop-up markets and art trails that foster community engagement and support local enterprise.