Graham selected for Holbeche Place: phasing and site constraints for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Muse has appointed Graham for pre-construction services on the Holbeche Place redevelopment in Solihull, covering plot one’s design and build of 346 build-to-rent homes in four residential blocks with ground-floor commercial and amenity space. The scheme sits on a constrained town centre site requiring demolition of an existing multi-storey car park and tight coordination with surrounding roads, neighbouring properties and live retail frontages. Demolition and enabling works are scheduled to begin in summer 2026, setting the programme framework for subsequent phases of the wider masterplan.
Technical Brief
- Appointment covers pre-construction services only, indicating an early contractor involvement (ECI) procurement approach.
- Scope is confined to plot one of the wider Holbeche Place masterplan, not full build-out.
- Four buildings are planned at varying heights, implying differing foundation loads and vertical circulation arrangements.
- Mixed ground-floor commercial and amenity uses will require varied vibration, acoustic and servicing design criteria.
- Busy town-centre context implies restricted laydown, crane positioning and just-in-time materials logistics planning.
- Demolition of the existing multi-storey car park will require staged temporary works to maintain adjacent operations.
- Live retail frontages demand phased hoarding, pedestrian segregation and out-of-hours high-risk activities.
Our Take
Graham’s selection at Holbeche Place follows a run of recent wins in our database – including the Clifton Hampden Bypass and multiple framework lots with Sovereign Network Group – signalling that local authorities such as Solihull Council are favouring contractors with a strong public-sector and housing track record for complex town-centre schemes.
With 346 build-to-rent homes in the first plot alone, Holbeche Place pushes Graham further into higher-density residential delivery, complementing its role on large housing-led frameworks and suggesting it is positioning as a go-to contractor for institutional BTR and regeneration work across the South and Midlands.
The summer 2026 start date for demolition and enabling works aligns with other medium-term pipeline items in our 807-piece Infrastructure category, indicating that Solihull’s Mell Square/Holbeche Place programme will land in a period when Graham is already mobilising on several council-backed schemes, which may help it leverage shared supply chains and preconstruction teams.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
QCDB-io
Comprehensive quality control database for manufacturing, tunnelling, and civil construction with UCS testing, PSD analysis, and grout mix design management.