First look at Sunderland's 'homes of the future' on former Vaux site
You can now register your interest in living on the former Vaux site.
As part of wider plans to boost the city centre population, ‘homes of the future’ are taking shape on the former Vaux site.
Named after the beer once brewed at the original Vaux brewery, The Maxim is a collection of 34 homes being built next to The Beam on the Riverside Sunderland development.
The two-and-three-bedroom homes combine contemporary design with sustainability, aimed at delivering energy-efficient living in a city centre location.
The first collection of 10 terraced houses and eight maisonettes will be ready to move into in early 2027 - and new images have been released of how they will look.
The second collection, a further 16 homes based on the developer igloo’s award-winning Home of 2030 designs, will see homeowners receiving their keys in autumn 2027.
The homes draw on concepts developed through a national competition to reimagine how future homes can be greener, more flexible and better suited to modern lifestyles.
Designed for everyday living and built to last, the homes incorporate the latest eco-friendly features and technologies, including large windows to flood the homes with natural light, air-source heat pumps, solar panels and whole-house ventilation.
The Maxim is the first phase of Vaux, a new neighbourhood taking shape within the Riverside Sunderland regeneration area, close to City Hall, Keel Crossing and a range of cultural destinations, bars, restaurants and the new Riverside Park.
In a nod to its location, the neighbourhood is named after Double Maxim, the much-loved Sunderland beer, which was originally brewed on the site and was revived by local brewery Maxim, following the closure of the Vaux Brewery in 1999.
Michelle Williams, Project Director at igloo, said: “The Maxim is truly unlike any other development for sale in Sunderland right now – it’s urban living, but not as you know it. As a part of Vaux, it’s on the site of one of the city’s most iconic places and it’s been important to us that we honour that history.
“For us, creating homes starts with understanding the place you’re working in and making sure new developments build on the character that’s already there.
“From the homes themselves to the landscaped spaces between them, The Maxim is built on a philosophy of forming a strong sense of joy and community, which is so important to our wellbeing. We passionately believe that better homes build better cities and we can’t wait to welcome our first residents in 2027.”
Jan Dale, igloo’s North East Sales Lead, added: “Sunderland is changing, and its residential offer is evolving with it. This is exactly where igloo brings something different to the market. The Maxim is not simply new homes; it forms part of a carefully considered neighbourhood designed around people, place and the future of the city.
“The combination of contemporary design, sustainability, wellbeing and a genuinely central location will appeal to a new generation of Sunderland homeowners and help strengthen the city’s residential proposition.”
Prospective homeowners can register their interest for pricing, availability and viewing updates at www.themaximvaux.com or contact Urban Base, the sales agents.
The Maxim at Vaux is created by igloo in collaboration with local award-winning architects MawsonKerr Architects and Openstudio Architects and is part-funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Sunderland City Council.