Building Design Northern Ltd (BDN) is not only developing some of the largest and most impressive commercial, industrial and residential schemes for UK clients, but we’re also placing social impact (and the importance of it) at the heart of what we do best.

We have an impressive portfolio of manufacturing, retail, local authority and property clients from British Steel, B&Q and Subsea Energy Solutions to Sunderland City Council and the UK Government for example. All have sought our architectural, engineering and project management expertise whether it be for initial planning, conveyancing and architectural design requirements, or structural engineering, bespoke build and final fit-out – stages zero to seven in industry terms.

Delivering nationally, BDN has designed and built a new £26m, state-of-the-art service centre for British Steel in Skinningrove, North Yorkshire, a new B&Q store in Carmarthen, Wales, a 42,000 sq ft storage, distribution and HQ facility for Durham Animal Feeds in Newton Aycliffe, and more recently, the launch of our own Sheepfolds Stables development, a new £4m social, leisure and hospitality venue in Sunderland.

We have also been contracted to design a new art gallery, bistro and events space in Cumbria as well as provide framework services to Carbon Circle, an existing client providing engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) expertise out of its head office in Oslo, Norway.

HOWEVER, in contrast, it is also the smaller community-based projects that we undertake as part of its company ethos that arguably will have the strongest, more personal and longer lasting impact for many, especially at a grass-roots level.

Our North East and North West offices have designed and built a dementia garden for patients at Barrow in Furness Hospital, are developing ‘Super Brad’s Pad’ – a respite holiday home in Scarborough for children with terminal illnesses on behalf of the Bradley Lowery Foundation, and are constructing a new building extension to a current office site, including disability access and facilities, for the Veterans in Crisis charity, amongst others.

All are or have benefitted from a dedicated company policy that reinvests a percentage of our profits from larger contracts back into helping other smaller projects in the areas we serve, with BDN teams giving up their time and services gratis. This has made a significant difference to many charitable organisations where new facilities are required, and their care or support services are needed more than ever, but funding is low so every penny counts.

Richard Marsden, managing director, explains, “What’s most important is how we can make a real difference, and by that, I mean ways in which our work can really have a positive impact, not just in terms of what we can design or build or deliver commercially, but more so, how the communities we’re working in or with will benefit long-term once we’re gone.

“It’s really thinking about how our expertise and values can be used in ways that will create change for good and have a positive social impact, and by reinvesting as a company in this way, our teams – every single employee, can feel proud on a personal level of what they have contributed to. It makes a huge difference, especially for these communities, our staff and each project’s end users.”

Building Design Northern Ltd was founded in 1983 primarily as an engineering firm but grew to incorporate architectural and project management services a few years later. This meant that clients had an expert ‘one stop shop’ for all planning, technical design, engineering, build and project management requirements.

Since 2019, and following an MBO by current MD, Richard, we have grown from 7 to 33 employees spanning our Sunderland HQ and Ulverston offices but working across the UK. This also includes the 2023 acquisition of leading residential architecture practice, Fitz Architects, which specialises in unique, bespoke-build and design-led properties for private clients.

Richard added, “We’re niche in terms of being able to offer three very different disciplines – architecture, structural/civil engineering and project management, together combined under one roof as one company. It’s high-level, concept-to-completion expertise, and for existing as well as prospective clients, many are now looking for a trusted delivery partner from start to finish without having to outsource multiple times and project manage multiple organisations.

“We have large commercial retail chains and manufacturing clients who need everything from conveyancing, planning, 3D modelling and new build structures, to decommissioning stores going back on the market. It’s varied depending upon requirement, and we also work closely with many authorities, regeneration and development companies within the wider build sector to fulfil their own contracts as an added resource. “It’s 40 years since BDN’s formation, and we’re hopefully creating a legacy for another 40 plus to come.”