The east London-based practice has joined forces with local practice Intervention Architecture to design 408 proposed build-to-rent homes for the major regeneration site, near New Street station in Birmingham city centre.The proposed homes would sit at the heart of the 17ha masterplan within a mixed-use building overlooking Manor Square.The 13-storey building with a part 18 and part 19-storey crown would include independent shops, bars and restaurants on the ground floor, a first and second floor leisure unit, with the vast majority of apartments on floors three to 13. The top floor includes a communal rooftop garden and pavilion.AdvertisementIn a design and access statement the architects said the scheme, which uses an industrial red and brown material palette from the Smithfield Design Code, aims to respond to the local context and provide a sense of retreat and home whilst still embracing the lively 24-hour nature of the site.Birmingham City Council, which owns the land, is expected to consider a reserved matters application early next year. Source:Lendlease/CityscapeThe council named Lendlease as its joint venture partner on Birmingham Smithfield in 2018, and grantedplanning permission in June for the construction company's 1.9 billion regeneration plans for the area, following a lengthy planning process.The 17ha masterplan, a revision of an earlier version, was drawn up by a design team including Prior + Partners and David Kohn Architects and submitted in October 2023.It provides for more than 3,000 new homes, offices, restaurants, cafs and bars on the brownfield site, and will see Birminghams historic Bull Ring Markets (which have been on the site for 800 years) housed in two new buildings.AdvertisementThe Manor Square site where Bell Phillips and Interventions housing would sit once housed a moated manor house. The building would face a proposed square which sits over the archaeology of the medieval moated site, and echoes the moat with circular landscaping. Source:Lendlease/CityscapeBell Phillips and Intervention Architecture's scheme for Smithfield BirminghamLendleases masterplan application was embroiled in controversy in the weeks leading up to its approval, with campaigners accusing it of falling far short of the citys green space guidelines.But Birmingham planning officers concluded that, while it fell below a policy-compliant position on open space, the Smithfield schemes overall benefits including a new market square by St Martins Church, 900 new full-time construction jobs, and city centre housing provision featuring high-quality architectural design outweighed the concerns over green space.An original application had been lodged in January 2023, but a revised masterplan was later submitted to address concerns over harm to the historic cityscape raised by Historic England.The design was led by Prior + Partners along with New York High Line lead James Corner Field Operations, and includes buildings by Stirling Prize-winners dRMM and Haworth Tompkins and up-and-coming local practices Intervention Architecture and Minesh Patel Architects.Delivery is scheduled to complete in four phases over 15 years.Selina Mason, director of masterplanning for Smithfield, said the Bell Phillips and Intervention Architecture plans kick-start the transformation of this iconic site, bringing much needed new homes and spaces.Mason added: Were proud to be playing a part in preserving Birminghams historic Bull Ring Markets, while also creating a vibrant new neighbourhood that will benefit the city for generations to come. Source:PixelflakesJanuary 2023 plans - the originally proposed open market building and rag and indoor market by David Kohn Architects and Eastside Projects. The scheme has been significantly alteredProject data - plot 4DLocation Smithfield, BirminghamLocal authority Birmingham City CouncilType of project Mixed useClient LendleaseArchitect Bell Phillips and Intervention ArchitectureLandscape architect LDAPlanning consultant TurleyStructural engineer Robert Bird GroupM&E consultant AECOMQuantity surveyor QuantemPlanning application reference 2024/07367/PA