Project Spotlight: Post Office Building, Sunderland

Valued at £4.7 million, Tolent’s contract required the alteration and refurbishment of this listed Post Office, including demolition and facade retention of the sorting office and conversion into 32 luxury apartments together with underground car park facilities. The building was a Grade II listed structure. This was a very technically challenging project on a restricted city centre site.

Tolent worked closely with the Planning Officer, Historic Buildings Officer and English Heritage with respect to the repairs to the elevations and the retention of numerous internal features. Requiring a wealth of expertise in sensitive refurbishment work, the project provides a superb contrast between the contemporary interiors of the apartments and the period character of the historic Post Office building.

Project Spotlight: Custom House, Middlesbrough

Tolent completed a £3.84 million contract to transform Custom House, one of Middlesbrough’s oldest buildings, into a world-class youth facility.

Originally built as a hotel and business exchange in 1836, the Grade 2 listed building has been renovated to create myplace, a state-of-the-art leisure and community support centre to be used by up to 9,000 young people every year. The initial brief for the project was drawn up by a user group of young people, who were consulted regularly prior to, and during the contract on site. Tolent as well as the council’s design team liaised closely with the Council’s Conservation Officer at every stage to ensure that the Grade 2 Listed status was not compromised. Contemporary glass extensions were also incorporated in the development.


Bernard Griffin, principal architect at Middlesbrough Council’s Design Services said: “Custom House was in a serious state of disrepair and its renovation was a difficult process. The council entered into a Partnering Contract with Tolent Construction after a rigorous tendering and interview procedure. Over and above basic financial criteria, the Partnering Contract requires that the successful Contractor to buys into the spirit of a scheme. Tolent performed this role admirably – their team offered plenty of support, input and enthusiasm, and they fulfilled key requirements such as bringing in local young people to work on the construction where appropriate and helping to organise regular progress monitoring visits for the young client group.”

Project Spotlight: The Courthouse, Deansgate

Tolent’s contract required the transformation of former County Court building in Manchester city centre into a unique mixed-use scheme incorporating over 14,000 square feet of retail and leisure space together with 13,500 square feet of Grade A office accommodation. The landmark Grade II-listed building on Deansgate was originally built in 1896.

Henry Boot Developments Limited purchased the building during 2008 when the County Courts moved to the Civil Justice Centre in Spinningfields. Since 2008 the Henry Boot Team has been developing plans for this technically challenging, yet exciting project. One of the units incorporates many of the former County Court’s unique areas such as the exercise yard and Judge’s library, complemented by new glazed atrium space. Leading up to the start of construction the development was over 70% pre-let.

Project Spotlight: The Roundhouse, Camden

Tolent carried out a £28 million renovation of Roundhouse in Camden, a famous rock venue which in the 1960s and 1970s played host to the likes of The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. The new-look roundhouse accommodates a range of the performing arts, including music, theatre, dance, circus and digital media. Up to 10,000 young people every year use the Grade II-listed building with a creative centre providing 150 seats.

The project required variety of construction tasks, including removing barrel-vaulted ashpits left over from its steam engine repair days to provide a new basement for the centre. Tolent also built a new roof to improve acoustics and construct a 4,000 square metre extension.

Project Spotlight: Hawksley House, Sunderland

With a contract valued at £2.7 million, Tolent’s work on this project required refurbishment and restoration of a Victorian Grade II listed building into 26 luxury apartments. This sympathetic conversion of one of Sunderland’s most significant buildings claimed a prestigious 21st Century Living Award. Hawksley House, the former Water Board headquarters for the region, had lay empty for almost 15 years and was almost beyond repair.

The restoration and remedial works to the building included repairs to existing masonry, slate roofing, structural timbers damaged by dry rot, restoration of a feature timber staircase and renovation of lead trimmed single glazed windows. The 21st Century Living Award judges commented on the attention to detail and quality as well as the retention of original features.

Project Spotlight: Seaham Hall

Valued at £11 million, this project required the refurbishment, restoration and extension of a derelict Grade II Listed hall into a luxury hotel comprising 17 suites with restaurant, function rooms and conference facilities. The building had suffered from extensive water damage and wet/dry rot – careful planning was required to replace the floor structures and treat walls with minimal intrusion to the original structure.

In the restaurant and function areas the large original single glazed sliding sashes were retained and refurbished. The design reused the existing structure as far as possible which resulted in every suite being different in size and shape, apart from six in the new extension. The biggest challenge was installing modern services and air conditioning into the structure - ceilings had to be lowered on the ground floor to allow the installation of ductwork. Where this was necessary we took mouldings of the existing cornices and these were fully replaced at the new ceiling height.