Establishing charitable relationships

The Air Ambulance team, which serves the Northeast region so selflessly, is a charity which asked for help to improve the facilities at their home base in Langwathby, near Penrith, Cumbria. The improvements are to be in the relaxation and breakout areas for all staff, volunteers, medics, paramedics, pilots, aircrew, engineers, and the whole support team. 

In order to discover what ways Ward Robinson can support the Great North Air Ambulance, Gabby and Jade visited the charity recently. Read more about our recent work on The Great North Air Ambulance here

Sage Headquarters project completion

Interior design and fit out of Sage PLC’s New global headquarters. The space is situated within the original Cobalt 22 and 24 buildings in North Tyneside, which were previously designed by the practice, to house the company’s head office and business support functions including marketing, sales and customer service, a dedicated software training facility and a meeting village.

Our role was to help develop the existing Sage HQ building, provide new modern environments in line with other leading technology companies to promote innovation, creativity, and collaboration. Founded in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1981 and now with circa 13,000 employees across 23 countries, Sage recognises that its employees are at the core of what makes it successful. 

The new premises houses 2,000 staff in a variety of work settings and has been designed in line with Sage’s brand guidelines, creating modern, flexible workspace which encourage collaboration and innovation.

Designing for aviation

Ward Robinson have becoming increasingly involved in airport projects of late, with projects in Helsinki, Budapest and Edinburgh for Plaza Premium Group and projects ongoing at Newcastle International Airport.

Plaza Premium Lounges, have been crowned World’s Best Independent Airport Lounge by Skytrax for five consecutive years. Its portfolio of lounges now spans over 250 locations across 70 international airports in 30 countries. In February 2022 Ward Robinson handed over the Plaza Premium Lounge, located in the Sky Court area at Budapest Airport’s Terminal 2 Departures. Located between Schengen and non-Schengen destinations, the Plaza Premium Lounge offers travellers a bright and airy space to unwind before departure. Facilities include comfortable and zoned seating areas and a variety of tasty food including traditional Hungarian cuisine.

Earlier this year, we completed construction on a brand new Plaza Premium Lounge at Edinburgh Airport, which is the busiest airport in Scotland. Working closely with the client, consultants, and contractor on the contemporary scheme, Ward Robinson developed a distinctive design. Plaza Premium Lounge offers a relaxing and social environment for leisure travellers to meet their travel needs. The impressive 760sqm lounge offers members a spot of luxury before they jet off to their chosen destination. Subtle Scottish elements are woven into the interior design, from tartan upholstery to dining chairs, alongside local images such as those from the world famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival were selected as artwork giving the lounge a sense of place.

Find out more about the project here

And due to be completed later this year is a fully refurbished security and search area at Newcastle International Airport. Working closely with the airport in the past few years to develop concepts for a passenger lounge, Ward Robinson have been commissioned to work alongside GDL architecture to provide a durable yet welcoming space for passengers making their way through boarding card checks and security at the North East’s largest gateway and UK’s 11th busiest airport. One of the main objectives for the airport is to be the most welcoming airport and embrace innovative new technology to deliver a memorable experience to their customers, and Ward Robinson are delighted to be part of making that a reality.

The team are looking forward to the start of construction later this year. 

Ward Robinson wins prestigious design competition!

Forget the accolades received to date from the BCO and Mix awards, this one secures the Ward Robinson Team bragging rights amongst the internal project teams at Ryder for the next year at least! We are delighted to announce that the Ward Robinson Team’s were joint winners in the Ryder Architecture ‘Blueprint’ event, a weeklong festival to celebrate the people who make up Ryder and the successes of the past year.

The festival celebrated the accomplishments of the past year while setting goals and expectations for the future. To help bring everyone together for the Blueprint festival, Ryder holds an annual competition to inspire some light-hearted creative competition. 

During the build-up to Blueprint, design competitions were held in teams. While small in scale, the brief response to a live enquiry with the potential of reaching an international audience. The intention was to maximize the potential of two eco surf parks in the south of England by providing onsite accommodation in glamping pods for guests. Ryder had been commissioned by a client to provide sketch proposals for glamping pods in the area.

As a joint winner, the Ward Robinson Team’s entry, ‘The Hearth,’ was inspired by a classic A-frame tent and would serve to provide a bridge between the natural world and a refuge from it. A campfire symbol is at the core of the design to evoke feelings of togetherness and create an intimate setting. The detailed interior design, realism, and high quality impressed the judges….

Team visits Clerkenwell Design Week!

Our team recently travelled to London for Clerkenwell Design Week for their annual team trip. The team fully embraced all that was on offer in what is one of the key annual interior design events. Two full days walking the vibrant streets of EC1, attending manufacturer and supplier presentations, being introduced to new products, forging new contacts and strengthening existing relationships.

The occurring theme of wellbeing, positive and sustainable spaces, dominated many conversations with almost all highlighting their commitment to reducing carbon. The team returned to the office feeding back to colleagues within Ryder and bringing their new and update knowledge to several upcoming projects. Senior Interior Designer Emma said “Seeing some of the furniture pieces in the flesh that we scroll past daily online really makes a whole lot of difference and you really see them if a different light, an Orangebox piece in particular that I never liked before the trip is now in a number of office schemes I am currently working on, it was brilliant to meet new suppliers and have a thorough update on what’s new.”

Big news!

Ryder has announced the acquisition of London based architectural practice Doone Silver Kerr, from this we have welcomed Anya Gordon Clark and Richard Doone to support us in some exciting new Interior projects. Director Ross Kerr said: “Doone Silver Kerr are delighted to be joining Ryder Architecture and excited by the opportunity to bring our extensive experience in the commercial, hospitality and residential sectors to the Ryder team and build upon recent successful collaborations between the practices.”

Welcoming new faces..

We have welcomed two new faces into the team Senior Interior Designer, Gabrielle Fryett and Graduate Interior Designer Keith Ewing. Gabrielle graduated from Northumbria University with a first-class honours degree in Interior Design and has over 9 years of experience in commercial and residential design. Keith graduated Northumbria University with a first-class honours degree in Interior Architecture. He has been a huge asset to the team, gaining great confidence in the industry across various sectors.

Read more about all our new appointments here.