Rural Midlands is Grand Designs hotspot say architects

RURAL areas of the West Midlands are fast becoming hotspots for the next generation of ‘grand designs’, architects have said.

Vic Johnson, managing director of Bridgnorth-based Johnson Design Partnership (JDP), said the area’s rich mix of countryside and close proximity to commercial centres was proving a magnet to homeowners looking to create the house of their dreams.

An abundance of skilled craftsmen, available land and a growing desire to tap into the tax advantages of building your own property are also key drivers, said the firm.

JDP, which employs six people at its Station Lane head office, has been tapping into the market potential and has also exhibited at the Grand Designs show, a move which resulted in several new projects.

“We are known for our creative design solutions to projects, but even by our standards the demand for ‘grand designs’ in the past twelve months has almost trebled,” said Mr Johnson.

“Currently, we’ve probably got about £2m of contracts either underway or in the development process.

“These include a stunning two-bedroom house built into the side of a cliff in the historic part of Bridgnorth and ‘Genval’, which will see us transform a rundown 1950s bungalow into a fully accessible home with new environmental technologies that will reduce energy and running costs long term.”

2011 marks the 10th birthday of Johnson Design Partnership, with the company evolving from a one-man operation into one of Shropshire’s leading architect practices.
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he company’s client base spans the fields of education, commercial, industrial and regeneration. It has even secured international projects, including one for the ‘Foyer’, a homeless training centre in New York.

The design for this incorporates a host of green technologies, such as harvesting grey water, solar panels and rooftop wind turbines.

“As a practice we are committed to providing the most sustainable projects possible so they are as sensitive to the environment as they are landmark to the owner,” said JDP director Matt Spinks.

In addition to its grand designs work, the practice has also recently won a major contract with the Royal Free Hospital in London as part of a new drive to bring its design solutions to the healthcare market.