AN architectural company is celebrating the completion of a £13m project which started life as an idea scribbled on the back of an envelope.

Browne Smith Baker, of Darlington, one of the largest practices in the North-East, designed and planned a revolutionary warehouse for the Seaham Harbour Dock Company's new £20m CargoDurham distribution centre in east Durham.

The facility, which took four years from beginning to completion, is specifically designed with unique bulk retaining walls, five metres high and half a metre thick.

With a total indoor and outdoor storage capacity of more than 300,000 sq ft, an engineering workshop for fleet vehicles, offices and a Seafarers' Mission, the facility is the first of its kind in Europe.

The mission provides facilities for ships' crews during their stay in the harbour.

So far, about 80 per cent of the warehouse space has been leased on long-term tenancy agreements and managers are confident that the remaining 20 per cent will be leased soon.

The transformation of the port is part of a regional strategy to make Seaham and Peterlee principal growth areas of County Durham.

Browne Smith Baker co-ordinated all of the work with the Seaham Harbour Dock Company, local councils, One NorthEast, English Partnership and East Durham Taskforce.