A £1.45 million scheme has seen a derelict Jewellery Quarter badge works transformed into offices and homes.

The former W Reeves Badges plant, in Tenby Street, has been turned into seven townhouses, with spaces to work, two offices and a penthouse.

Much of the building had stood unused for more than 10 years, and its transformation came after architects Marco Da Cruz and Maria Sjolander - whose office was based opposite - decided to take the risk and buy it.

The pair, who founded LIV Development to oversee the scheme, are planning more renovations after selling all of the townhouses off plan for between £275,000 and £285,000.

Mr Da Cruz said: "We used to be based on Tenby Street and we spent 10 years looking at this big, blue, shutter thinking it had so much potential.

"So we took a bit of a flyer on it in the depths of the recession. In places like Shoreditch, these kind of 'live-work' units are quite common but we thought there was a gap in the market for something cool like that here."

The married pair, who run architecture practice Sjolander Da Cruz, bought the building in October 2012 and secured planning permission for the scheme the following year.

Work started on site in September and it was handed over this week, with the penthouse and two office units still to sell.

The 1930s factory and warehouse building had been a badge factory as well as a canteen for Tenby Electric.

Mr Da Cruz said the couple planned more renovations.

"It is fairly unique in Birmingham to take this kind of Art Deco building and make it something really contemporary," he said.

"It was a big investment but all six townhouses have sold so it has been a commercial success."

He added: "We have been based in the Jewellery Quarter for years and there are families there that go back four or five generations.

"We are looking for more properties, especially in the Jewellery Quarter and Digbeth. It is unloved industrial buildings that we really enjoy renovating - seeing potential that others don't see."

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