A Good Neighbour

With its tree-lined streets and rows of Victorian terraces, Selly Park, in south-west Birmingham, is well regarded as a characterful district in the city. Located south of the city centre and within walking distance to the University of Birmingham and up-and-coming Stirchley, the area is popular among the city’s student population.

Our brief, from long-standing client Alumno Developments was to respond to a challenging site that was unloved and forgotten and enlivening it with a 167-student bedroom accommodation. A 1960s former BT exchange building on the site had been empty for over a decade and its dilapidated state was an eyesore for the area.

Our design sought to finish what the Victorians started by utilising a sharp ‘horseshoe’ plan to connect a row of terraced housing on two converging streets. The massing steps up to the corner of the junction and conversely steps down towards the abutting terraces in a way commensurate to the nearby Dogpool Hotel, responding and knitting into its context. A courtyard space is a natural conclusion to the back-to-back gardens of the terraces and seamlessly brings the existing, matured landscape into the development.

Pershore Junction represents a significant investment in Selly Park and will contribute positively towards business and the local economy in this location. In urban design principles, it repairs the neighbourhood with a contemporary addition, and the transitional scale of the building unifies the varying typologies of the existing built forms in this suburban setting. We worked closely with Birmingham City Council to ensure that the new building would not only offer visual and economic gain to this part of the city but provide the neighbourhood with facilities in the form of a Post Office and convenience store.

“Pershore Junction is a groundbreaking development in Birmingham, bringing some of the design considerations typically secured in a city centre location to a more suburban audience. It sets a bar for design quality that should, and clearly can be, delivered and is something the City Council is proud of. The architects’ careful consideration of materials and their handling is superb and has resulted in a building that owns its place in this location and belongs to Birmingham.”
—Andrew Fuller, City Design Manager

Pershore Junction’s facade features elegantly crafted red brick and terracotta details. Responding to the immediate context and local landmarks such as Selly Park Church and Dogpool Lane Hotel, our approach applies a distinct language to the building’s base, middle, and top.

At the base, the building sits on a strong masonry plinth comprising a stretcher course laid brickwork, providing a robust grounding to the building. Centrally, the scheme brings forward a single-storey expression more in keeping with the area as well as the domestic function of the building while the top storey is set back.

Deep, profiled terracotta is a signature material adorning the middle and upper levels, adding intricacy and craftsmanship to the elevation while paying reference to the crafted detailing on local landmarks. The gradual transition from brickwork at the base to terracotta at the top captures the narrated quality of the scheme.

Having worked extensively in the student housing sector for several years, we understand the need to strive for best-in-class amenities that contribute to the well-being of student residents. Facilities include a games room, cinema, study space, gym, and a central landscaped garden for all students to meet up and enjoy the outdoors. The typology of accommodation also includes cluster beds and studios to offer choice.

As with many Alumno schemes, art is integrated throughout to enrich the experience of those living in the building, along with local residents. Local creative talent has been used to provide a photography exhibition, poetry installation and sculptures in the garden. The horseshoe plan and site levels allow for flexible spaces to hold events and talks.

Pershore Junction is a culmination of a long-standing collaboration with Alumno. Through lessons learned from previous projects, we’ve been able to create a building that facilitates the social and well-being aspects of student life.