Lack of local work forces architects Make to shut Birmingham office

THE architectural firm which designed Birmingham’s Cube building is to shut its Birmingham office and relocate staff to its London base.

Make said the decision to quit has been taken as a result of a lack of projects in the region and because property owner Brockton Capital has served notice that it plans to renovate The Mailbox, where it is currently based.

The firm said no staff would be made redundant as part of the office closure which will happen in July.

Ken Shuttleworth, Make’s founding partner, said he is “sad” to close the door on the Birmingham office but that it was “indicative of the differences between the regional and London economy in the UK today”.

In a statement on the firm’s website he said: “We have had a long vested interest in the Midlands, not least because I grew up there but also because the region has been so instrumental in enabling Make to get where it is today.

“However, there is currently very little commercial work to be found regionally and as such all jobs based in the Midlands, both for existing and new clients, will be supported from our London headquarters.”

Aside from the Cube, Make was involved in a number of projects from its Birmingham office including The Montpellier Chapter Hotel in Cheltenham, the Thomas Clarkson Academy in Wisbech and a number of masterplans.

Last month Make reported a 166% jump in pre-tax profit driven by strong growth in work in India.