One Strawberry Lane

The aspirations of Home Group were to have a headquarters that would represent and reflect the values of the business. This meant that the project had to be sustainable, aspirational, and supportive of local communities.

The executive director of Home Group, Joe Cook said “It has been a long-held aspiration of ours to create a superb new head office, something that will not only benefit our customers and the community but which will leave a lasting legacy for the city.”

When it came to the design of the facade, the architects were able to draw inspiration from Newcastle’s rich architectural heritage. As a city, it boasts an eclectic mix of styles and periods, from Roman to postmodernist. It was also important to consider the materials used in the surrounding area, which included a widespread presence of light-coloured and red-brown natural stone. It was for this reason that the selected buff brick and copper-brown aluminium were the perfect choices to complement the local vernacular.

A key feature of the completed project is the projecting brickwork headers used across sections of the facade. The Brick Services team have extensive experience incorporating such details into project designs and so were able to guide the architects through the process. When it comes to projecting details, exposure to the elements needs to be considered and in cases where larger projections are desired, specific clay for the bricks should be used to avoid issues such as freeze thaw. It was this experience that enabled the team to help the architects incorporate a 56mm projection, using a material that was durable and reliable. The result is a striking, textured facade that perfectly complements the aluminium panels that have been perforated with strawberry motifs to illustrate the area’s history.

Outside of the design, the sustainability of the building was of vital importance to all involved. As an organisation, Home Group were focusing on reducing their carbon footprint and so were keen to employ a range of energy saving and sustainable technology and materials. The choice of clay brickwork played an important role in this, as bricks are an inherently durable, long-lasting and sustainable material. According to the Brick Development Association (BDA), bricks will last for at least 150 years, a much longer life cycle than many more modern facade materials.

Overall, all the project partners have delivered a sustainable workspace for 700 of Home Group’s 3,500 strong workforce that has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating and A grade EPC. Completed in 2022, One Strawberry Lane has won a number of impressive accolades including Building Project of the Year at the 2023 Constructing Excellence North East Awards and ESG Award at the 2024 British Council for Offices National Awards.