£1.6m extension completed at Christ’s College in Sunderland

Christ’s College in Sunderland, a four to 16 academy operated by the ESF, has carried out a £1.6 million scheme to double the size of its dining hall and kitchen, as well as create a new multipurpose space.

Jonathan Yates, managing director of Howarth Litchfield and project architect, said: “We have collaborated with Mark Boyers, Director of Facilities for many years and we were delighted to be invited to assist him with this project.

“Mark had been exploring options to improve the dining experience and by rethinking an early concept sketch, we developed a large multi-use space that resolves the dining challenges whilst providing a flexible venue for parents’ evenings, performances and presentations.”

Additional members of the construction team included T Manners of Bishop Auckland as the building contractor, BGP for structural and civil engineering, and DTA Consulting Engineers of Stockton for mechanical and electrical engineering.

The project is part of ESF’s ongoing investment across its school network, which includes other recent developments such as The King’s Academy in Middlesbrough.

The new extension is a contemporary predominantly glass pavilion that overlooks the sports pitches and complements Grindon Hall, the 19th-century former residence of Lord Doxford.