The second phase of The School Yard in Harborne has been shortlisted for a RIBA – the ‘Oscars’ of the property sector.

Designed by Jewellery Quarter-based BPN Architects, the project was the second phase of a mixed use scheme that had already won a string of awards for sensitively breathing new life into the long vacant Grade II Listed Clock Tower building in the heart of the popular Birmingham suburb.

The eight projects shortlisted for regional gongs also include the Assay Office in Birmingham and £600m transformation of New Street Station.

Jonathan Hines, chairman of the judging panel, said: “The jury was impressed by the overall standard of quality of the buildings submitted this year. The range of buildings, from residential projects to a major infrastructure scheme, was quite striking and made our job a challenging one. Congratulations to all who have been shortlisted and we look forward to announcing the winners in April.”

The regional winners will be announced on 28 April who be put forward for the RIBA National Awards, with those winners announced in June. Those collecting national awards will then be considered for the 2017 RIBA Stirling Prize, the world’s most prestigious prize for building design.

EDG director Neil Edginton said that just be shortlisted is a fantastic accolade for The School Yard and a great tribute to everyone involved in delivering the project.

He said: “When you look at the quality and scale of the other projects that have been shortlisted, it is hard to express quite how proud I am of everyone who worked so hard to turn our vision for this much loved but long neglected site into a reality.

“Our ethos is very much about pushing the boundaries and challenging conventional thinking and the design created by BPN and executed by our construction team has created an exciting new addition to the cityscape, which not only looks fantastic but has been a huge success, having all sold off plan.”

The second phase of The School Yard that has been nominated for the RIBA award saw the construction of 12 apartments and a townhouse in two blocks linked by an open staircase and clad in anthracite zinc and Siberian larch.

The first phase of the scheme, which won RICS and Birmingham Civic Society awards, saw the creation of a vibrant social hub with new restaurants, coffee shop and food school on the site of an old Victorian school.

Leading total quality management services provider to the automotive and aerospace industries, G&P has relocated its global headquarters to one of the most iconic sites in the Midlands.

The company is now based at the historic and highly-visible Fort Dunlop building, conveniently situated next to the M6 on the edge of Birmingham, at the heart of the UK’s automotive industry.

“In recent years G&P has experienced substantial levels of growth and our relocation to Fort Dunlop is a significant reflection of this ongoing success and expansion,” comments Dino Kyriacou, Chairman, G&P. “This is an incredibly exciting time for G&P, the relocation provides us with the additional space and capabilities that we require to accommodate our further growth.”

The 13,500 ft² space being taken up by G&P is located on the 4th floor of the historic building, providing ample office and meeting room space for the company’s 75 staff that will be based at its headquarters. In addition to the staff that will be based at its new HQ, G&P also employs a further 1300 staff members globally, helping manufacturing companies and their suppliers improve quality, efficiency and profitability.

Indeed, the company works closely with Jaguar Land Rover amongst others, whose Castle Bromwich plant is situated immediately next to the Fort Dunlop building. Arne Willerslev-Legrand, Group Managing Director G&P comments, “We expect that this closer proximity to our customers will further cement G&P’s position as the strategic partner of choice for the world’s leading vehicle and aerospace manufacturers.”

The Fort Dunlop building has undergone a significant resurgence itself in recent years. Originally built in 1916 as the main factory for Dunlop Rubber, it was at one point the largest factory in the world, and in 1954, employed more than 10,000 workers. Today, the modernised building is a hub of innovation and creativity, and alongside G&P, more than 40 businesses are located at the site as well as a host of retail and leisure outlets, eateries and even a hotel.

Neil Edginton, Managing Director of EDG Property, said; “Offering quality management services to the automotive and aerospace industries, G&P is an award winning and well respected company and we’re delighted they’ve chosen Fort Dunlop to relocate to. Our location once again proved key, and our proximity to a number of key automotive brands proved to be the ideal combination for G&P. We’ve got an incredibly dynamic mix of businesses based at Fort Dunlop now, it’s an exciting time to be part of this flourishing business community.”

For more information about the quality management services that will offered by G&P from its new Fort Dunlop base, visit www.gpqm.com.