Birmingham City Council has appointed local architect companies
Axis Design Collective and BM3 to design council homes as part of
the Council's first phase of council house building, delivering 131
homes with an investment of £15.2 million.
The appointment of the Birmingham-based businesses will drive up
employment in the city as the Council forges ahead with its
ambitious council house building plans, which will help house
families at a time when waiting lists for social housing are rising
across the UK.
Axis Design Collective and BM3 beat off stiff competition from
other companies from across the country, to secure the contracts to
create designs for sites at King's Norton, Hodge Hill, Sparkbrook
and Handsworth. Both companies have worked with the Council before,
producing award-winning schemes at Brandwood End and Ley Hill.
The companies were selected for the high quality of their
designs and the value for money services they provide. The
architects will submit planning application, before the end of July
for all 4 sites.
The Council's ambitious council house building plans, to be
delivered by the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust, will
eventually deliver 500 new council homes a year, dwarfing the 375
council homes built across the country last year.
Councillor John Lines, Cabinet Member for Housing said: "I'm
delighted to be employing local Brummie talent and the appointment
of Axis Design Collective and BM3 will mean local businesses can
work alongside us to deliver council homes for our people.
"It's important we recognise the skills of people in this City.
Good design is at the heart of what we deliver and we would expect
nothing less for our citizens. I have every faith that Axis Design
Collective and BM3 will help us create homes and places that
generations of local people can be proud of.
"Their track records show they can deliver and I'm looking
forward to working with them and our residents on this landmark
development."
Neil Walker, Director of BM3 Architects, added: "BM3 Architects
is delighted to be selected by Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust
to work on the designs for the sites at Owens Croft, Kings Norton
and Drylea Grove, Shard End.
"Being a Birmingham-based practice, specialising in Public and
Private sector housing, we are excited to be involved in the City's
first major house building programme for at least a generation. We
are committed to working with local residents to ensure the new
homes we design are truly sustainable, energy efficient and will
endure the test of time."
Mike Menzies, Director of Axis, said: "As a local housing and
regeneration practice, Axis Design Architects is absolutely
delighted to have been chosen to help deliver Birmingham Municipal
Housing Trust's aspirations for high quality, sustainable, social
housing."