The company has been working on Sunderland’s regeneration for over a decade.

“What’s happening in Sunderland is incredible. I don’t think there’s another place in the UK that’s undergoing such a rapid transformation,” says the project director behind one of the developments helping to change the face of the city centre.

placeholder image — How Riverside Sunderland could look, with the logo pointing towards the 34 Maxim homes | igloo

A specialist in creating mixed-use communities, London-based igloo has a number of projects across the country, but Sunderland is one of its most long-running partnerships.

More than a decade ago, when the former Vaux site was still a barren blot of prime land, igloo worked as a consultant with Sunderland City Council, helping them shape and articulate their Riverside Masterplan.

Seeing the vast potential there was for change in Sunderland, the real estate B Corp decided to invest further, becoming a development partner, in partnership with Sunderland City Council and Housing Growth Partnership.

They appointed Cramlington-based Compass Developments to deliver the igloo homes on the Vaux site, one of four new housing communities being created on either side of the River Wear.

Different developers are working on the homes across Riverside, creating different textures and layers to the housing, which are set to double the city centre population from 2,500 to 5,000 in the next few years.

The Maxim homes on the Vaux site are on course for completion in 2027 | Sunderland Echo

igloo are building 34 of the homes, just in the shadow of The Beam, which are well underway and are looking to welcome their first residents next year. This community of homes will be called The Maxim in honour of the Double Maxim once brewed at the old brewery.

We sat down with with Michelle Williams, project director at igloo Regeneration, who says after a decade of working on the Sunderland project it’s exciting to see the two and three-bedroom homes take shape.

“When working as a consultant, igloo could see how incredible the city centre was going to be,” she said. “In a challenging market, we really wanted to persevere which is why we decided to invest under the PfP igloo delivery arm.”

Of the 34 homes Maxim homes, 16 are innovative and sustainable properties inspired by award-winning designs produced by igloo Regeneration, Open Studios and Mawson Kerr for the Government’s Home of 2030 design competition, which will be ready to move into 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.

In the meantime, the first collection of 10 terraced houses and eight maisonettes, being built in addition to the Homes of 2030, will be ready to move into in early 2027.

“We’ve already had quite a few enquiries so we’re feeling really positive. We anticipate younger people wanting to live in the homes, but we’ve also had enquiries from downsizers who want to live in a close-knit community,” said Michelle.

Bringing a day and night economy to the city centre

Stephen O’Neill, director at Compass Developments, at some of The Maxim homes | Compass Developments

Speaking about the importance of having more people living in city centres, Michelle added: “Part of the purpose is to bring a night and day economy to the city.

“You go to other cities and people live in the city centre, there’s activity day and night and people live alongside civic buildings.”

The multimillion pound Riverside development has brought huge change to Sunderland in recent years, including Keel Square, Keel Crossing, Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital, Maker & Faber, Sheepfolds Stables and more.

From next year, those changes will be residential as people start to move into the new communities.

On the progress being made, Michelle said: “It’s taken a long time to get here, but now it’s here the homes are going up quickly.

“Bringing people back to the city centre is a much better use of the land and we feel proud of the contribution we’ve made. The council have been the driving force, but we feel proud to have played a part.

“Kitchens are being fitted now and we’re hoping to have the first show homes open in January - so we’re excited to show people around. You can see them coming out of the ground but it’s when people are inside that it feels real”

Construction company, Compass, say they’ve hit a significant stage on the homes and are well on track.

Stephen O’Neill, director at Compass Developments, said: “These homes set new benchmarks for sustainable, healthy, attractive, and future-ready living and provide a unique city centre housing and lifestyle offer.

“Completion of the external envelope to achieve weathertightness is a significant stage of the development and we’re well on track to complete our work next year.”