Approach from Railway Drive
View of the articulated corner and the area's historic vernacular
View of south elevation with the Grade II listed Chubb Building in the background
Bullnose and roof terrace detail
Street elevation
Textured brick detail
1:500 concept model
Section
i9, Wolverhampton Interchange
As part of the regeneration of Wolverhampton city centre, i9 brings Grade A office space to a prominent intersection within walking distance of the redeveloped Wolverhampton Train station.
Working with the City of Wolverhampton Council and Ion Developments, the brief stipulated to us was for a contemporary office building that could cater for any size of business, with floorplates optimised for efficiency and flexibility. Close collaboration and engagement with the city throughout the design process resulted in a bold yet contextual design that provides a best-in-class workspace on this strategic site.
The site, located at the heart of a conservation area and nestled amongst a collection of listed buildings—including Grade II listed Chubb Building and Prince Albert Pub—provided a unique contextual challenge. Our subsequent design pays homage to the industrial characteristics of red brick vernacular with bullnose, curved glass corners and deep brickwork piers helping to shade the building and articulate its tripartite proportions.
Achieving our aspiration of a ‘crafted’ facade using brick required an understanding of the technical parameters and close collaboration with subcontractors. Working with the team, we had to gain in-depth knowledge of the material and how it would interface with other facade elements when utilising a prefabricated construction method. The brick locally sourced only seven miles from the site—the same historic clay pits which supplied material for many of the city’s Victorian buildings—augments the building’s contextual narrative.
Today, i9 is already home to 150 staff from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, the first ministerial office with a regular presence outside London. The building has achieved a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating, incorporating the latest green technology and thinking to deliver low energy and resource use, flexibility, and low impact on the surrounding environment.
| Client | ION Developments | |||
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| Location | Wolverhampton | |||
| Size | 6,093 sq m | |||
| Status | Completed 2021 | |||
| Environmental | BREEAM Excellent | |||
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