Tall & Urban News

Developer HUB, in a joint proposal with National Express, has submitted plans for a large-scale mixed-use regeneration scheme in Digbeth, Birmingham, which will create a new live/work destination for the city.

The new homes, creative workspace and a diverse mix of leisure and retail amenities will be linked by more than two acres (0.8 hectares) of public space, including 200 meters of canal frontage.

The 6-acre (2.4-hectare) site, bordering the Grand Union Canal and close to the Duddeston Viaduct, is currently home to the West Midlands Travel Ltd. Central Birmingham Bus Garage. It lies at the heart of the Digbeth regeneration area, which is fast emerging as Birmingham’s leading creative and cultural quarter. HUB has developed the scheme in collaboration with the local community to make sure that the scheme works well for as many people living in the area as possible.

shedkm has produced a series of design codes to sit alongside the master plan, in order to ensure that the development creates a neighborhood that reflects Digbeth’s long industrial heritage, in robust materiality and footprint scale, whilst supporting a new community through appropriate living typologies and bold architecture that is authentic and characterful.

“This development gives us a fantastic opportunity to relocate to new, purpose-built facilities as we move towards an all-electric fleet over the next 10 years. The new garages will provide state-of-the-art engineering and operations facilities in locations that are aligned to our network, improving the efficiency and environmental impact of these essential services,” said Adam Cook, UK Property Director at National Express.

HUB concluded the development agreement with National Express in January 2019. HUB is working with architects shedkm (master plan), Glenn Howells and Maccreanor Lavington. Avison Young is acting as planning consultant for HUB.

For more on this story, go to World Architecture News.