JLR Logistics Operations Centre

JLR needed a modern logistics centre in Solihull – a Net Zero facility that could support just-in-time manufacturing and bring new efficiency to a busy automotive site.

The ambition was bold. A logistics hub the size of a small town, quietly tucked into a constrained plot beside Birmingham International Airport.

Shaping a clear design strategy on a tight site

The centre needed to support advanced automation, cut carbon and improve day-to-day operations for one of the UK’s largest manufacturers.

We joined the project as architect, lead designer and principal designer, working with Prologis and Winvic Construction Ltd from the first sketches to completion.

Early work focused on understanding how the building would function in practice. That meant finding space for a 15-metre-high automated warehouse with ASRS systems, more than 4,000m² of office and welfare space and the external works needed to keep goods moving.

A simple idea made a big difference – create a clear design route that kept pace with construction and worked practically.

Keeping fast-moving delivery steady through challenge

The team needed to move quickly. The logistics centre had to be delivered in just one year, launching at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic made day-to-day collaboration harder.

We set up calm, regular design coordination with the project team. BIM models helped resolve clashes early and gave everyone a single source of truth. Clear decisions kept momentum steady. Alongside the main building, we designed a 1,150-space multi-storey car park for cars, EVs and bicycles, high-security boundaries, a gatehouse and new landscaped areas.

The site brought its own challenges. Highway diversions, drainage works and powerline rerouting had to be sequenced with care. Each change was planned so construction could keep moving without disrupting operations on the wider estate.

Despite a fast programme and pandemic restrictions, the project was completed on time and to demanding sustainability standards.

A high-performing, low-carbon logistics hub

The Logistics Operations Centre now supports automated, just-in-time logistics. It is designed to achieve BREEAM Very Good and reduce HGV movements across the site. Those changes cut an estimated 1,120 tonnes of CO₂ each year while supporting a smoother, more resilient supply chain.

Beyond the building, the project generated more than £11 million in social and economic value across the West Midlands. Training, work placements and community initiatives helped create opportunities close to home. Unavoidable embodied carbon was also mitigated through the protection of 760 acres of rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon, delivering environmental and social benefits far beyond Solihull.