Fuse8 win signals further work on tap at Middlesbrough docks

Further design opportunities look likely at the £500m Will Alsop-designed development of Middlesbrough docks, which will see the derelict area transformed into a vibrant community.

Leeds-based consultancy Fuse8 has been appointed to handle the branding of the development, and further appointments could emerge as the Middlehaven Docks area between the town’s Riverside Stadium and the Transporter Bridge is developed. It will feature residential, education, commercial and leisure facilities, such as hotels, bars, restaurants and attractions. Proposals also include a primary school, a theatre, a museum of digital media and a public art installation. Alsop has designed the zerocarbon emissions masterplan, while sustainable community developer BioRegional Quintain aims to interpret the proposals.

As part of the scheme, Fuse8 will provide branding, brand consultancy and marketing communications services for the project. Fuse8’s work during the first phase of the 15-year project is worth up to £500 000 in fees. The consultancy won the work following a pitch against six other, undisclosed UK groups.

‘The colourful landscape, radical design and leading-edge buildings are not just a first for the North East or for the UK – there is nothing to compare it against anywhere in the world,’ says Fuse8 creative director Andy Hutchinson. According to Hutchinson, the consultancy designed the visual identity to stand the test oftime.

‘It is a strong brand icon, one designed in terms of usability,’ he says. It will feature on the website, hoardings, advertising and in the marketing suite.

The whole brand strategy is based on the thinking that people will need two planets to live on soon instead of one, unless sustainability is attained. Each element of the branding is environmentally friendly, from the hoardings made from rubber tyres to the type on the communications materials.

‘We are leading the way in the development of sustainable communities throughout the UK, by combining a dynamic and innovative approach to property development with the application of sustainability principles,’ says Pete Halsall, managing director of BioRegional Quintain.

The first building for the development will open next year.