North East Futures UTC

The main challenge for Newcastle-based Xsite Architecture was to refurbish the Hawthorne building so that it created a space where students wanted to congregate in the communal areas beneath, yet still satisfied Listed Buildings’ requirements and maintained the feel of the industrial heritage of the site.

A key requirement was high levels of natural light and ventilation and the architects took their lead from the mounting body of research that shows how these elements can increase learning capacity.

Xsite Architecture specified VELUX modular skylights because they:

• liked the aesthetics of the slim frames and superior sightlines
• have a tighter in-plane profile, meaning less outward projection from the roof, creating a slimmer aesthetic and an ability to sit flush with the roof on the listed building;
• are fully pre-fabricated offsite, reducing installation times by as much as a third compared to traditional skylights