HBD is where great places start, bringing buildings to life, empowering people and helping businesses to thrive, so we’re always looking for forward thinking ways to develop our best practice when it comes to sustainable interim use.
That includes partnering with outstanding organisations like The SPACE-2 Group, who create sustainable first studios, enabling a radically regenerative media production ecosystem, here in the West Midlands.
Here, Mark Hughes-Webb, Founder and CEO of The SPACE-2 Group, LOCATIONZ and Revival Props tells us more.
HBD, part of Henry Boot, is a sustainably focussed developer, so we were proud to partner with them to find a meanwhile use strategy for a former BMW Garage in Birmingham.
Proper regeneration takes time, and that’s why it’s great to see developers use their buildings pre development. Partnerships like ours can ensure that sites earmarked for redevelopment aren’t being left vacant or falling into disrepair, with the potential to become a magnet for anti social behaviour.
Camden Street Studios – A Case Study of Creative Meanwhile Use
HBD acquired this site in 2021, a former BMW car sales showroom, which spans Camden Street in Birmingham’s iconic Jewellery Quarter (the original home of film) and comprises 80,000sq ft of existing space, including secure parking and yard areas split across two main areas.
We read keenly about the company’s vision to create a new Build to Rent development that will redevelop this prominent site into 417 beautifully designed and highly sustainable one, two and three bedroom apartments and two bedroom duplexes. Those homes will be further complemented by some great resident amenities; restaurants, retailers, a real indie community as well as public realm.
Cue the relationship with SPACE-2 Consulting, who were brought in to produce an ambitious interim use plan for the site, which has sustainability at its heart. We quickly identified potential uses for the vacant plot that would make the best use of the site while allowing us to showcase our commitment to sustainability.
Together with HBD, SPACE-2 explored the potential to make the site available to local film and TV production companies as well as developing a programme of exciting events to help engage with local businesses. HBD helped this happen by applying for a change of use planning application to provide a temporary studio facility for media production companies and event organisers, operating under the Camden Street Studios brand and enabling it for creative content production for regionally based production companies, championing local first crew sourcing and a green supplier network for increased local benefit and impact.
Lights, camera, action
Camden Street Studios sprung to life with the site already providing a home to production bases and filming locations for both series of the award-winning ITV series DI Ray, BBC’s Champion and ITV’s Joan, starring Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner.
It has also hosted a range of events in conjunction with local businesses and vendors, including Sustainability West Midlands Members Mingle and annual AGM, a B Social with the brilliant B Corp Certified Warwick Events, Fusion film training courses for Mission Accomplished, and a Hip Hop Dance Promo for Lewis Lewinson.
By leading the way with a creative approach to sustainable interim use, we are helping HBD showcase best practice for landlords when it comes to making the most of significant urban locations as projects move from inception to delivery.
Sustainability in action
We share many of HBD’s sustainability values and that’s why SPACE-2 Consulting is committed to sourcing materials and products from hyperlocal suppliers to support the immediate economy and keep collective Scope 3 emissions low – those that are indirectly produced in the value chain.
At Camden Street Studios, we’ve only worked with sustainably focused suppliers and operated a zero tolerance to diesel generators, single use materials and the use of skips wherever possible, reducing waste to landfill. We also encourage occupiers to support local businesses and ensure they are aware of the amenities in the vicinity, rather than sourcing from further afield.
That includes everyone from Jewellery Quarter based caterers, maintenance and security who assist with production and events, and a Hockley based social enterprise cleaning company that carries out daily and deep cleans with eco products and gives a route to work for people who face extreme challenges with employment
Our vast list of hyperlocal sustainable first suppliers includes, Revival Props, a circular economy props business that diverts used furniture from landfill; Jericho Woodshack, who repurposes wood from set builds; Fill Refill who make and supply closed loop, plastic free, planet friendly cleaning (liphophilic free), health and hygiene products: Change Kitchen, a vegan, diverse social enterprise employing disadvantaged people from Birmingham; and BUBS, a Birmingham based complete environmental waste management company which only collects its refuse containers once they are full – unlike normal waste services.
Together with HBD we support a circular economy across all of our operations, repurposing materials and products that are no longer of use by our clients in the local community. We have helped HBD bring in assets such as compost bins where food waste from occupiers and green waste from vegetation and landscaping on site can be composted. That is then used to nurture the olive trees we are growing in pots onsite, which will be incorporated into Neighbourhood once the development is under construction.
We are proud to have collaborated with HBD to deliver a truly sustainable interim use programme for a site that has played a key role in growing this burgeoning local and regional industry. With planning secured for Neighbourhood, HBD’s own grand production of a best in class Build to Rent development, this key urban development site is now looking beyond its meanwhile use as the developer prepares for the delivery of a new residential scheme.
In continuation of our joint commitment to sustainability and prior to works starting onsite, we will work with HBD to conduct a survey of the building to assess which existing building materials and fixtures can be salvaged and kept for future re use at other sites with interim uses or by Birmingham’s growing film and TV production industry.
Our aim was to work with HBD to ensure that the site’s legacy lives on, something we’ll continue to do into Q1 2025. After that I hope that our early uses help those who’ll live at Neighbourhood in the future.
For more information on Neighbourhood, please click here.