“ We looked to the area ’ s local and historic context for the building ’ s exterior design .
ROBERT HIRSCHFIELD ARCHITECTS
CHALLENGE
This was LinkCity ’ s first student accommodation scheme in the Midlands . They were looking to strengthen their development offering and already had hold of a site in Birmingham that was deemed underdeveloped .
When RHA were first asked to explore massing studies for the site , it was clear that the site was underdeveloped and that the existing 1970s office blocks had potential under a new asset class .
The development sits at a corner section of several major roads leading to the city centre and Birmingham New Street train station . However , the existing building fell flat of providing an accessible , safe and attractive urban environment on this prominent site .
Early considerations , such as lack of parking provision , drew us to student accommodation as a solution . However , we needed to ensure there was the justification and the demand for 435 new student rooms in Birmingham . The local planning authority had challenged us to design a high quality building so as not to affect future resource as many other recent examples are not fit for purpose only a few years on .
Robert Hirschfield Architects carried out a feasibility study for the site in 2011 and were then appointed as the concept architects that developed the design narrative working alongside Stride Treglown during the planning stages . RHA remained involved through the design and construction phases with the project completing in August 2020 .
THE ARCHITECTS PERSPECTIVE
As a practice , we are known for high-quality residential design , so relished the challenge of applying similar principles to student accommodation within budget .
Today , the expectation for quality student accommodation is very high , certainly more so than when we started on the scheme over a decade ago . However , we were confident that we could deliver designs that went above the expectations of the end-user .
The prominent site sits just outside the city centre and at a crossroad , so is very visible . Close to all of the city ’ s higher education institutions , the notable corner location acts as a ‘ gateway ’ into the city centre and utilises a deep triangular plan . We knew we could be playful with the designs and deliver a building that has since become a landmark for Birmingham and its university students .
We looked to the area ’ s local and historic context for the building ’ s exterior design . During the 18th century , Bath Row and the city of Birmingham were home to a natural spring and numerous tiled swimming baths , housed by some of the best examples of the city ’ s civic architecture .
The assortment of blue glazed aluminium extrusions that wrap around Bath Court gives the building a distinctive character and water-like effect to reflect the links Bath Row has to the Victorian public baths . We worked closely with the cladding suppliers and four new dies were created for the effect .
We incorporated a mixture of self-contained studios and room cluster layouts with a focus on social and communal spaces , to give the build longevity and flexibility . We incorporated social space and study areas on the ground floor to animate the street frontage and increase pedestrian footfall in what was previously a predominantly vehicular thoroughfare . We created a large landscaped raised terrace provides external space .
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