Studio Egret West appointed to £3.2bn Arden Cross

Muse, the nationwide placemaker, has appointed world-renowned architect, urban designer and landscape architect, Studio Egret West, to lead on the creation of a new masterplan for the £3.2bn Arden Cross regeneration.

In November 2022, Muse was selected as the development partner for the 346-acre scheme by the landowning partnership Arden Cross Limited, and the team has looked to accelerate momentum behind the project by appointing Studio Egret West as the new masterplanner.

The once-in-a-generation creation of a new neighbourhood in the heart of the West Midlands, maximises the opportunity of the HS2 Interchange Station at Arden Cross in Solihull and is being enabled by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) with  £57m committed to date to the wider infrastructure.

It will become an exciting new community, creating up to 27,000 jobs as well as up to 3,000 homes, places to work and innovate, alongside vital infrastructure and attractive public spaces for all to enjoy.

Both Muse and Studio Egret West will now work with wider partners and stakeholders in the UK Central Hub, of which Arden Cross is just one component, and includes HS2, Department for Transport, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, and the Urban Growth Company. All partners are working together to deliver a range of shared priorities and to bring forward a refreshed vision for one of the UK’s most important regeneration opportunities.

In September 2022, the Arden Cross partnership also signed memorandums of understanding with the University of Warwick and University Hospitals Birmingham, to investigate the potential of a medical and technology campus as part of the proposals which will be included in the revised masterplan.

Studio Egret West has a vast portfolio of designing holistic masterplans in partnership. The firm has led on the design for the regeneration of Digbeth in Birmingham, Mayfield in Manchester, and New Bermondsey in London among others across the world.

Studio Egret West is one of the UK’s most experienced practices, in bringing forward regeneration frameworks with strong narratives that are a balanced combination of people focused, amplified nature, and unlocking infrastructure.

Maggie Grogan, development director at Muse, said:

“It’s a sign of our shared ambition that we’re moving swiftly and wasting no time in creating the ingredients to bring forward a new sustainable destination for the region.

“In due course, we’ll showcase a new masterplan and refreshed vision, and will work closely with the community and other stakeholders to develop it. Our approach will be bold, creative, collaborative and we’ll work tirelessly to deliver for the people of the West Midlands.”

David West, Founding Director of Studio Egret West commented:

“The opportunity to craft a multi-layered environment that blends the city with the countryside is what makes the project so exciting. We hope to interweave a place activating programme with nature-based systems.

“With our experience delivering similar types of schemes, both in the West Midlands and elsewhere, we are looking forward to developing a masterplan vision which the region can be proud of.”

Centrally located and globally connected, Arden Cross is on its way to becoming a major global destination providing a world class environment for working, living, learning and leisure.