Developer Marchday has appointed Buro Happold and Archial Sustainable Futures to provide strategic design advice for its Lingfield Point development in Darlington where a former factory is being converted into a mixed residential and workplace community designed to be as sustainable as possible.
A key feature will be retention, renovation and reuse of most of the prominent and well-designed existing factory buildings including the tall machine room buildings known locally as the "Seven Sisters" which will be converted into a variety of uses including flats and offices.
Other parts of the former Patons & Baldwin wool factory will become a housing development and the overall aim is a 20-40% reduction in carbon emissions.
"Working with the Carbon Trust to find our sustainability consultants has been a fascinating process," said Marchday director John Orchard.
"We are really looking forward to learning more about low carbon energy creation and providing these important alternatives to our customers."
Buro Happold's Steven Cowan said it was an exciting opportunity to work on a low-carbon energy strategy for the site.
"Sustainability has been a key driver to the regeneration of the site and we will look to maintain that momentum through this study," he said.
The consortium has been appointed to provide strategic design advice for an initial four month project.
