In conversation with…Marcus Wilkins of Aedas

WITH Aedas’ tenth birthday celebrations well under way, it is a busy time for Marcus Wilkins who heads up the Birmingham studio of the global architectural practice.  

Wilkins’ role has recently expanded to head of retail with a remit to secure opportunities from anywhere around the world.

He has just returned from China where he helped to promote the firm’s health sector expertise.

But he remains committed to the Midlands, whilst pursuing global opportunities and gets involved in the city’s initiatives wherever he can.

But what does this mean for Aedas in Birmingha, which moved to its Colmore Plaza headquarters two years ago to be closer to the city’s business community? 

Wilkins said: “Everything I do has an impact on the local team working here in Birmingham. We recently announced our appointment to a multi-million pound, retail-led mixed use scheme in Brazil, where all the concept design and masterplanning work was done from Birmingham. 

“We worked on the project in collaboration with Davis Brody Bond Brazil, in San Paolo, and although they now manage the day to day operation of the scheme, we continue to work closely with them and will play an integral role in the development of the project until its completion.

“This is happening with projects secured from the world over. We have an invaluable skill set in Birmingham, particularly in retail, health and masterplanning which is fitting in well with global opportunity and will contribute to my new remit of translating worldwide opportunities for retail mixed-use schemes into reality.

“Areas that we are now focused on include the Middle East, Turkey and China.”

Closer to home Wilkins believes there are still a wealth of untapped opportunities but he suggests the region continues to suffer from a sustained lack of confidence. 

“I believe it is now time to give ourselves a much deserved boost of energy and release it to revive the buoyancy and enthusiasm that this region is renowned for,” he said.

“We have no excuse. We have the LEP, we have enterprise zones and we now have a new leader of the city council. There is a desire to make things happen, we just need to take these ingredients, add some serious levels of business confidence and start to achieve results.

“The signs are there. At Aedas Birmingham we have had to recruit architects to cope with an increased workload. From talking to members of the local community, I find that the private sector is feeling much more upbeat with some projects starting to come through.

“RICS also announced in mid-May that, according to its latest Construction Market Survey, activity levels in the West Midlands construction sector edged upwards in the first three months of the year with workload forecast to rise over the next 12 months.”

Aedas’ national meetings are also now mainly held in Birmingham due to its central location and easy accessibility to the rest of the country. Since its formation ten years ago, Aedas has established an office in every location where it works or intends to work, and has owners of the practice in every office.
It believes this allows it to develop an in-depth understanding of each location and the people that live, work and play in it. 

“No matter how far afield I travel, I enjoy coming back to this city that brims with strong leaders, has a plethora of vocal personalities and above all a team spirit that I find nowhere else,” Wilkins said.

“Let’s use this overwhelming mix of determination to help get Birmingham flourishing again.”