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What is it?

Birmingham City University will build at least 37,000 square metres of accommodation.

These graphics and models describe the maximum permissible size of development and show an illustrative scheme.

Central to the University’s strategy is the migration/centralisation of current teaching activity into three “core” campuses - City Centre, City North and Edgbaston - supporting a new academic structure for the University.

Migration to the intended three-campus strategy will mature over the next 3-5 years and a key element of this initiative is this new campus development.

The objective of the development is to create new facilities to meet the requirements of the following faculties:

• Faculty of Media and Performing Arts.
• Faculty of Technology, Innovation & Development.
• Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD).

Additionally, it is intended to create a concert hall, space for working with business, a Student Centre (to include library, learning resources and exhibition space), a food court and a retail centre. The first phase of the building is expected to open to students in September 2012.

Once completed, the University’s City Centre campus will also include Millennium Point, an existing building providing approximately 14,500 square metres of accommodation currently occupied by the Technology Innovation Centre (tic) and the Birmingham School of Acting.

The outline planning application will be submitted for 50,000 m 2 net internal area for educational facilities and will include 3,000 m 2 of retail and 3,000 m 2 of catering space.

Plan view

Birmingham City University’s vision for the new campus development is that it should:

• Be a quality group of buildings that showcases the University’s excellence.
• Be a positive contribution to the “street scene” and a beacon to regeneration.
• Have an “iconic” component to “signpost” the location.
• Be an exemplar of best practice.
• Be sustainable in terms of design, specification, during construction and in occupation.
• Minimise energy consumption.
• Adopt innovative technologies.
• Conserve water

The architectural objectives are as follows:-

• To create an urban quarter which complements the new City Park by encouraging interaction with it, access through it and promoting people movement across it.

• To create a sustainable place which reinforces the vision of the University to be energy efficient, embrace renewable energy technologies and promote biodiversity.

• To create buildings that complement the setting of the local historic buildings – the grade I Curzon Station building, the Woodman Pub, the Eagle and Tun Pub and the railway viaduct to the south.

• To make buildings which offer students, staff and the wider public the highest quality of provision and encourage the overlap between the creative and Performing Arts and new technology.

• To create a strong sense of place by providing state-of-the-art facilities which promote Birmingham, the region and the wider reputation of the Birmingham City University internationally.