Newcastle, UK - Office
One Strawberry Lane, a new office building in the emerging St. James’ Quarter of Newcastle city centre, comprises 70,000sqft of flexible Grade A office space spanning over six storeys. Ryder architectural teams designed the base build, in tandem with our interiors team, appointed by contractor Overbury, as executive interior designer to provide the interior fit out.
The building is open to the public at the ground floor with a café and informal working areas including bookable meeting spaces, with two floors of office sublets above and Home Group occupying the remainder of the building. One Strawberry Lane is the new headquarters for national housing association, Home Group, and facilitated a major relocation of 700 employees from several offices across North Tyneside to a more sustainable location in the city centre.
A series of engagement programmes were carried out over development of One Strawberry Lane. Home Group worked with the local voluntary sector to ensure the building supports the local community. Together, our design team, the contractor, and Home Group, facilitated seven social impact projects were facilitated through the construction period.
The design was required to aesthetically relate to Home Group's primary business of creating homes this was expressed through the development of a townhouse typology for the elevations. Design for inclusivity goes above and beyond, with height adjustable elements throughout and subtle zoning through the use of curtains and high backed furniture to create differing environments.
The interior design reflects the overt, community focused culture that Home Group support. Civic integration is at the heart of the design, creating a new business model that uses corporate workspace and coworking environments to cross fun community initiatives for the greater good and positively influencing the urban context. Named one of the first new commercial buildings in the UK to be designed for the new post Covid hybrid working style, Home Group has seen a significant upturn in their people choosing to work in the office.
Nathalie Baxter
Head of Workspace, Home Group
Lord Mayor’s Design Awards
Winner: New Building (Large Scale)
BCO Northern
Winner: ESG Award
BCO Northern
Commended: Corporate Workplace
Constructing Excellence North East
Winner: Building Project of the Year
Insider North East Property
Winner: Commercial Development of the Year
Civic Trust Awards
Finalist: Regional
Constructing Excellence North East
Finalist: Sustainability
BCO Judges
BCO Northern Awards 2024
