City Architect of Birmingham
Encyclopedia
The City Architect of Birmingham was a high-ranking position within the Public Works department of Birmingham City Council
and provided the holder with a lot of power in the planning decisions of Birmingham, especially in the post-war
period in which Birmingham
underwent enormous regeneration. Combined with the City Engineer position, which was held by Sir Herbert Manzoni
, the City Architect designed or had an important say in all city council building projects.
The position was created in the 1950s by the Public Works department to assist the design and construction of large building projects that were prompted by the demands of the growing population and by the vast amounts of money being invested into regenerating areas that had been devastated by the Luftwaffe
in the Birmingham Blitz
. In the 1950s, Birmingham was suffering from a housing shortage for approximately 65,000 families and the council's initial attitude was to construct temporary prefabricated home
s. However, as demand for longer-lasting flats grew, the council decided that it these were necessary and that the five redevelopment areas, designated by Manzoni, were to be the key foci for modern housing provision.
, who moved from the chief architect for the new town of Crawley
in 1952. In 1954, Fidler established his own Architect's Department as the work load increased. His initial commissions were small scale projects such as the former Register Office on Broad Street
, although he was given the opportunity to exhibit his preference towards mixed-use provision - usually a combination of residential properties and retail units. He also advocated the approach by the council towards high-density housing. In his first few years of being City Architect, Fidler witnessed the construction of many five and six story residential schemes designed by Manzoni such as the Marston Green
estate. Fidler expressed his distate towards the designs of these estates, calling Manzoni's designs 'mud pies'. When Fidler created the Architect's Department, he was able to enforce three policies that would change the quality of housing design. Firstly, he ensured that he was responsible for all the housing projects that were being built by national contractors such as Wimpey
that the city council was working with. Secondly, he ended the construction of Manzoni's six storey blocks and replaced them with schemes that were more specific towards the individual site and reflected for the need for the type of housing in the area. Finally, he called for the appointment of a landscape architect to improve the layout of large housing estate, a policy that surprised many Birmingham councillors. These policies did take time to come into effect as many of his designs were still affected by external forces and practices. Under Manzoni, the designs for housing blocks had been negotiated with the contractors to bring down construction costs and times. But the formation of his own department that gave him independence from Manzoni made it easier for Fidler to have a free hand in design.
The change in the quality of design was almost immediate with Fidler's designs for suburban flats in Rubery
and the Hankley Farm estate being selected for an exhibition at the Royal Academy
and also being published by the Review in 1954 for its annual Preview. The designs consisted of six storey blocks built of load-bearing brickwork. The brickwork was used for both the exterior and the thin infill walls. The first tower block
s to be constructed by the council was the construction of four tower blocks in Duddeston
. Collectively known as the Duddeston Four, the 12-storey High, Queens, Home and South Towers, were all completed between 1954 and 1955 to a design by SN Cooke and Partners. The design was expensive and upon their completion, they were criticised by the council over their cost, despite receiving positive reviews from the Municipal Journal and Architectural Review. These would be the last privately-designed high-density residential properties constructed by the council.
As well as designing residential schemes, Fidler also collaborated with private architect's firms to produce designs for schemes such as Hall Green
Technology College, designed in association with S. T. Walker and Partners and completed in 1958. The use of reinforced concrete, cedar boards and aluminium frames for windows and the lack of brickwork showed how much influence S. T. Walker and Partners had on the design. Another educational building designed by Fidler is Ladywood County Primary School in 1961. Part of the City Architect's work involved conservation and repairing buildings which had been damaged in World War II. An example of this is the reconstructed Edmund Street elevation above the entrance to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
in 1958. A project that Fidler became involved with was the Civic Centre scheme which had started just before World War II and resulted in the partially completed Baskerville House
. In 1958, he produced a less formal layout with four residential tower blocks linked municipal offices on their north side. Whilst this was never constructed in his time as City Architect, it was generally approved and modified by the successor to Fidler.
At the turn of the 1960s, the council began to propose and construct larger and more dramatic schemes. Manzoni's lack of experience in high-rise schemes led to Fidler being commissioned to design these more ambitious schemes. The Lyndhurst estate in Erdington
was completed in 1960 to a design by Fidler and featured five tower blocks, including Harlech Tower which was the tallest tower block in the city upon completion. In the following year, the entire estate won a Civic Design Award reflecting the quality of the design and the use of materials. Whilst there had been opposition towards the demolition of the upmarket Victorian villas that were demolished to allow for the construction of the estate, much praise was given towards the masterplan which incorporated the existing mature trees. However, the council's increasing demand for more housing estates led to a lesser focus over quality of design. Fidler was a supporter of a phased approach to development, unlike the council who wanted schemes to be built all at once. In 1962, at a time when more homes were being demolished than being constructed by the council, Fidler urged the council to adopt the French Camus system which consisted of housing at a density of approximately 50 houses per hectare and 80 people per acre. The council refused this and demanded 48 homes per hectare with 75 people per acre. In 1963, following the rejection of his plan of a 'garden city' for the Castle Vale
estate, Fidler resigned from his position. One of his final works was the expansion of the College of Advanced Technology (now Aston University
) which was carried out in phases between 1957 and 1965. He was quickly succeeded by J. R. Sheridan-Shedden, the deputy City Architect who held the position temporarily. Upon taking the position, he designed a revised masterplan for the Castle Vale estate. The new masterplan used the Radburn Layout which consisted of super-blocks of housing, schools, retail and offices around a communal open space, a concept which was created by Clarence Stein
in Radburn, New Jersey
in 1929.
The council attempted to limit the damage caused to their reputation as a result of the scandal surrounding the resignation of Fidler by embarking on a major building project at Castle Vale with five new goals. They increased housing output at the estate by an extra 4,000 homes, aimed to reduce the cost of dwellings, introducing industrialised forms of construction to save labour, attracting new national contractors to work in Birmingham, and increase capacity by providing continuous work for contractors. Between 1968 and 1969, 30,000 had been constructed on the estate and the council boasted a 'world record'. Despite the vast increase in housing output since Fidler, the quality of design had deteriorated. Reinforced concrete became the main material used due to its low cost and ease of use. Following Fidler's departure, the council removed some of the power that the City Architect had in housing decisions. They also sought a new architect that shared their attitude towards construction.
. Alan Maudsley was a supporter of the council's plans for Castle Vale and introduced Bryants, a contractor, to the council and a relationship between the two ensued. Bryant was intent on creating a brand image through the construction of homes for councils and Birmingham City Council gave them this opportunity. Due to the reduced powers the city architect had over housing design, Bryant had an influential say in housing designs. They won two-thirds of high-rise housing contracts in the city, mainly due to their use of the Bison design system. One of their largest contracts was for the Druids Heath estate in the south of Birmingham which the company boasted would be "the largest industrialised building project in Britain". The main reason for Bryants' success in Birmingham was their adoption of the Bison method of industrialised system building.
The relationship between the council and Bryants was aided by an ex-Birmingham councillor and West Midlands
MP
who handled the firm's publicity. His influence in the company assisted them in awarding contracts in other Labour-controlled areas in the Black Country
. To aid their position in securing contracts in Birmingham and the Black Country, Bryants gave gifts to senior members of the councils. The process in awarding contracts became less and less transparent. However in November 1973, Alan Maudsley along with private architects John Sharp and Evan Ebery were arrested and charged with corruption relating to the awarding of contracts to Bryants. The two private architects were also arrested for corruptly conspiring to give money towards paying transport costs, hotel bills and the provision of a London flat for Maudsley. Alan Maudsley pleaded guilty to entering a corrupt relationship with Sharp and Ebery at Birmingham Crown Court in 1975. In 1977, four Bryants directors were guilty on numerous counts of giving gifts to councillors. In 1978, Christoper Bryant, the owner of Bryants, went on trial at the Old Bailey
denying two counts of plotting to bribe Maudsley.
Despite this, Maudsley did produce some designs for the city council. His focus was more towards public facilities, in a period when housing output was reaching its peak in Birmingham. Examples of facilities he designed or assisted in the design of include the Cannon Hill Park
Boat House in 1967, which was designed in association with Edward L. Preston. The same two architects worked together to design the Perry Barr
Refuse Disposal Works in 1969, although the design was changed significantly, including the removal of a 300 feet (91.4 m) tall chimney. Although the design for Birmingham Central Library
is largely accredited to John Madin
, a prolific local architect, Alan Maudsley played a vital part in the design of the building. His changes to the original design by Madin to reduce costs are said to be the main causes for the problems that the structure is now experiencing, for example the decision to construct it out of pre-cast concrete panels as opposed to Travertine marble which had been suggested by Madin. Conservation projects were also part of Maudsley's work load and in 1969 he designed the renovation of the Kingston Row terraced houses which date back to 1780. Maudsley still assisted in the design of major housing projects, such as Bromford Bridge in the Bromford area of Erdington
. The housing estate housed approximately 6,000 people when opened in 1968 with numerous high-rise tower blocks and low-rise blocks set alongside the M6 motorway
. Maudsley also designed and masterplanned an estate of 64 single storey houses on Kingstanding Beacon in the Kingstanding
area.
metropolitan county
. As a result, the City Architect and City Engineer positions were removed. The Architect's Department was also merged with the Public Works Department to form the Department of Architecture and Planning. A new position, Chief Planner, was created in 1974. The council still has a team of architects, collectively known as the City Design Team and there is also a City Design Adviser who heads the team.
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
and provided the holder with a lot of power in the planning decisions of Birmingham, especially in the post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
period in which Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
underwent enormous regeneration. Combined with the City Engineer position, which was held by Sir Herbert Manzoni
Herbert Manzoni
Sir Herbert John Baptista Manzoni CBE MICE was a British civil engineer known for holding the position of City Engineer and Surveyor of Birmingham from 1935 until 1963...
, the City Architect designed or had an important say in all city council building projects.
The position was created in the 1950s by the Public Works department to assist the design and construction of large building projects that were prompted by the demands of the growing population and by the vast amounts of money being invested into regenerating areas that had been devastated by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
in the Birmingham Blitz
Birmingham Blitz
The Birmingham Blitz was the heavy bombing by the Nazi German Luftwaffe of the city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, beginning on 9 August 1940 and ending on 23 April 1943...
. In the 1950s, Birmingham was suffering from a housing shortage for approximately 65,000 families and the council's initial attitude was to construct temporary prefabricated home
Prefabricated home
Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes, are dwellings manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled....
s. However, as demand for longer-lasting flats grew, the council decided that it these were necessary and that the five redevelopment areas, designated by Manzoni, were to be the key foci for modern housing provision.
1952-1963: Alwyn Sheppard Fidler
The first architect to be given the position of City Architect of Birmingham was Alwyn Sheppard FidlerAlwyn Sheppard Fidler
Alwyn Gwilyn Sheppard Fidler CBE was a Welsh architect and town planner who was chief architect for the new town of Crawley from 1947 to 1952 and City Architect of Birmingham from 1952 to 1964....
, who moved from the chief architect for the new town of Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
in 1952. In 1954, Fidler established his own Architect's Department as the work load increased. His initial commissions were small scale projects such as the former Register Office on Broad Street
Broad Street, Birmingham
Broad Street is a major thoroughfare and popular nightspot in Birmingham City Centre, United Kingdom. Traditionally, Broad Street was considered to be outside Birmingham City Centre, but as the city centre expanded with the removal of the Inner Ring Road, Broad Street has been incorporated into...
, although he was given the opportunity to exhibit his preference towards mixed-use provision - usually a combination of residential properties and retail units. He also advocated the approach by the council towards high-density housing. In his first few years of being City Architect, Fidler witnessed the construction of many five and six story residential schemes designed by Manzoni such as the Marston Green
Marston Green
Marston Green is a village of around 5000 residents in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands, approximately 7 miles from Birmingham.The village is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre...
estate. Fidler expressed his distate towards the designs of these estates, calling Manzoni's designs 'mud pies'. When Fidler created the Architect's Department, he was able to enforce three policies that would change the quality of housing design. Firstly, he ensured that he was responsible for all the housing projects that were being built by national contractors such as Wimpey
George Wimpey
George Wimpey was formed in 1880 and, based in Hammersmith, operated largely as a road surfacing contractor. The business was acquired by Godfrey Mitchell in 1919 and he developed it into the UK’s pre-eminent construction and housebuilding firm. In 2007, Wimpey merged with Taylor Woodrow to create...
that the city council was working with. Secondly, he ended the construction of Manzoni's six storey blocks and replaced them with schemes that were more specific towards the individual site and reflected for the need for the type of housing in the area. Finally, he called for the appointment of a landscape architect to improve the layout of large housing estate, a policy that surprised many Birmingham councillors. These policies did take time to come into effect as many of his designs were still affected by external forces and practices. Under Manzoni, the designs for housing blocks had been negotiated with the contractors to bring down construction costs and times. But the formation of his own department that gave him independence from Manzoni made it easier for Fidler to have a free hand in design.
The change in the quality of design was almost immediate with Fidler's designs for suburban flats in Rubery
Rubery
Rubery is a village in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire. Part of the village forms a southern suburb of Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. The village is from Birmingham city centre....
and the Hankley Farm estate being selected for an exhibition at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
and also being published by the Review in 1954 for its annual Preview. The designs consisted of six storey blocks built of load-bearing brickwork. The brickwork was used for both the exterior and the thin infill walls. The first tower block
Tower block
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
s to be constructed by the council was the construction of four tower blocks in Duddeston
Duddeston
Duddeston is an inner-city area of the Nechells ward of Birmingham, England. It was part of the Birmingham Duddeston constituency until that ceased to exist in 1950.-Etymology:...
. Collectively known as the Duddeston Four, the 12-storey High, Queens, Home and South Towers, were all completed between 1954 and 1955 to a design by SN Cooke and Partners. The design was expensive and upon their completion, they were criticised by the council over their cost, despite receiving positive reviews from the Municipal Journal and Architectural Review. These would be the last privately-designed high-density residential properties constructed by the council.
As well as designing residential schemes, Fidler also collaborated with private architect's firms to produce designs for schemes such as Hall Green
Hall Green
Not to be confused with Hall Green, Wolverhampton or Hall Green, SandwellHall Green is an area and ward in south Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
Technology College, designed in association with S. T. Walker and Partners and completed in 1958. The use of reinforced concrete, cedar boards and aluminium frames for windows and the lack of brickwork showed how much influence S. T. Walker and Partners had on the design. Another educational building designed by Fidler is Ladywood County Primary School in 1961. Part of the City Architect's work involved conservation and repairing buildings which had been damaged in World War II. An example of this is the reconstructed Edmund Street elevation above the entrance to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England.Entrance to the Museum and Art Gallery is free, but some major exhibitions in the Gas Hall incur an entrance fee...
in 1958. A project that Fidler became involved with was the Civic Centre scheme which had started just before World War II and resulted in the partially completed Baskerville House
Baskerville House
Baskerville House, previously called the Civic Centre, is a former civic building in Centenary Square, Birmingham, England.-History:The site was originally occupied by the home of John Baskerville. He was buried nearby in the area which was known as Easy Hill...
. In 1958, he produced a less formal layout with four residential tower blocks linked municipal offices on their north side. Whilst this was never constructed in his time as City Architect, it was generally approved and modified by the successor to Fidler.
At the turn of the 1960s, the council began to propose and construct larger and more dramatic schemes. Manzoni's lack of experience in high-rise schemes led to Fidler being commissioned to design these more ambitious schemes. The Lyndhurst estate in Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
was completed in 1960 to a design by Fidler and featured five tower blocks, including Harlech Tower which was the tallest tower block in the city upon completion. In the following year, the entire estate won a Civic Design Award reflecting the quality of the design and the use of materials. Whilst there had been opposition towards the demolition of the upmarket Victorian villas that were demolished to allow for the construction of the estate, much praise was given towards the masterplan which incorporated the existing mature trees. However, the council's increasing demand for more housing estates led to a lesser focus over quality of design. Fidler was a supporter of a phased approach to development, unlike the council who wanted schemes to be built all at once. In 1962, at a time when more homes were being demolished than being constructed by the council, Fidler urged the council to adopt the French Camus system which consisted of housing at a density of approximately 50 houses per hectare and 80 people per acre. The council refused this and demanded 48 homes per hectare with 75 people per acre. In 1963, following the rejection of his plan of a 'garden city' for the Castle Vale
Castle Vale
Castle Vale is a housing estate located near Erdington currently Castle Vale votes with Tyburn Ward which is part of Erdington constituency, northeast of Birmingham city centre in England...
estate, Fidler resigned from his position. One of his final works was the expansion of the College of Advanced Technology (now Aston University
Aston University
Aston University is a "plate glass" campus university situated at Gosta Green, in the city centre of Birmingham, England.Established in 1895 as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School, Aston was granted its Royal Charter as Aston University on 22 April 1966...
) which was carried out in phases between 1957 and 1965. He was quickly succeeded by J. R. Sheridan-Shedden, the deputy City Architect who held the position temporarily. Upon taking the position, he designed a revised masterplan for the Castle Vale estate. The new masterplan used the Radburn Layout which consisted of super-blocks of housing, schools, retail and offices around a communal open space, a concept which was created by Clarence Stein
Clarence Stein
Clarence Samuel Stein was an American urban planner, architect, and writer, a major proponent of the "Garden City" movement in the United States.- Biography :...
in Radburn, New Jersey
Radburn, New Jersey
Radburn is an unincorporated planned community located within Fair Lawn, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States.Radburn was founded in 1929 as "a town for the motor age"...
in 1929.
The council attempted to limit the damage caused to their reputation as a result of the scandal surrounding the resignation of Fidler by embarking on a major building project at Castle Vale with five new goals. They increased housing output at the estate by an extra 4,000 homes, aimed to reduce the cost of dwellings, introducing industrialised forms of construction to save labour, attracting new national contractors to work in Birmingham, and increase capacity by providing continuous work for contractors. Between 1968 and 1969, 30,000 had been constructed on the estate and the council boasted a 'world record'. Despite the vast increase in housing output since Fidler, the quality of design had deteriorated. Reinforced concrete became the main material used due to its low cost and ease of use. Following Fidler's departure, the council removed some of the power that the City Architect had in housing decisions. They also sought a new architect that shared their attitude towards construction.
1966-1973: Alan Maudsley
The council received a reputation for large ambitious schemes as a result of the Castle Vale estate. The council even extended out of its own boundaries to take over and construct the 1500 acres (6.1 km²) Water Orton estate, which is now known as Chelmsley WoodChelmsley Wood
Chelmsley Wood is a neighbourhood, civil parish and large housing estate in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England, with a population of 13,010. It is located near Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. It lies adjacent to Birmingham...
. Alan Maudsley was a supporter of the council's plans for Castle Vale and introduced Bryants, a contractor, to the council and a relationship between the two ensued. Bryant was intent on creating a brand image through the construction of homes for councils and Birmingham City Council gave them this opportunity. Due to the reduced powers the city architect had over housing design, Bryant had an influential say in housing designs. They won two-thirds of high-rise housing contracts in the city, mainly due to their use of the Bison design system. One of their largest contracts was for the Druids Heath estate in the south of Birmingham which the company boasted would be "the largest industrialised building project in Britain". The main reason for Bryants' success in Birmingham was their adoption of the Bison method of industrialised system building.
The relationship between the council and Bryants was aided by an ex-Birmingham councillor and West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who handled the firm's publicity. His influence in the company assisted them in awarding contracts in other Labour-controlled areas in the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
. To aid their position in securing contracts in Birmingham and the Black Country, Bryants gave gifts to senior members of the councils. The process in awarding contracts became less and less transparent. However in November 1973, Alan Maudsley along with private architects John Sharp and Evan Ebery were arrested and charged with corruption relating to the awarding of contracts to Bryants. The two private architects were also arrested for corruptly conspiring to give money towards paying transport costs, hotel bills and the provision of a London flat for Maudsley. Alan Maudsley pleaded guilty to entering a corrupt relationship with Sharp and Ebery at Birmingham Crown Court in 1975. In 1977, four Bryants directors were guilty on numerous counts of giving gifts to councillors. In 1978, Christoper Bryant, the owner of Bryants, went on trial at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
denying two counts of plotting to bribe Maudsley.
Despite this, Maudsley did produce some designs for the city council. His focus was more towards public facilities, in a period when housing output was reaching its peak in Birmingham. Examples of facilities he designed or assisted in the design of include the Cannon Hill Park
Cannon Hill Park
Cannon Hill Park is a park located in south Birmingham, England. It is the most popular park in the city, covering consisting of formal, conservation, woodland and sports areas...
Boat House in 1967, which was designed in association with Edward L. Preston. The same two architects worked together to design the Perry Barr
Perry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
Refuse Disposal Works in 1969, although the design was changed significantly, including the removal of a 300 feet (91.4 m) tall chimney. Although the design for Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library
Birmingham Central Library is the main public library in Birmingham, England, and the largest non-national library in Europe. It is managed by Birmingham City Council...
is largely accredited to John Madin
John Madin
John Hardcastle Dalton Madin is an English architect. He was born in Moseley, Birmingham on 23 March 1924. His company, known as John H D Madin & Partners from 1962 and the John Madin Design Group from 1968, were active in Birmingham for over 30 years. Some of the buildings his company designed...
, a prolific local architect, Alan Maudsley played a vital part in the design of the building. His changes to the original design by Madin to reduce costs are said to be the main causes for the problems that the structure is now experiencing, for example the decision to construct it out of pre-cast concrete panels as opposed to Travertine marble which had been suggested by Madin. Conservation projects were also part of Maudsley's work load and in 1969 he designed the renovation of the Kingston Row terraced houses which date back to 1780. Maudsley still assisted in the design of major housing projects, such as Bromford Bridge in the Bromford area of Erdington
Erdington
Erdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee...
. The housing estate housed approximately 6,000 people when opened in 1968 with numerous high-rise tower blocks and low-rise blocks set alongside the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
. Maudsley also designed and masterplanned an estate of 64 single storey houses on Kingstanding Beacon in the Kingstanding
Kingstanding
Kingstanding is an area in north Birmingham, England. It gives its name to a ward in the Erdington council constituency. Kingstanding ward includes the areas; Perry Common, St. Mary's College, Witton Lakes and parts of Kingstanding, Wyrley Birch and New Oscott...
area.
After Alan Maudsley
In 1974, Birmingham City Council underwent a major restructuring, prompted by boundary changes and changes to the West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
metropolitan county
Metropolitan county
The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million...
. As a result, the City Architect and City Engineer positions were removed. The Architect's Department was also merged with the Public Works Department to form the Department of Architecture and Planning. A new position, Chief Planner, was created in 1974. The council still has a team of architects, collectively known as the City Design Team and there is also a City Design Adviser who heads the team.