Pershore Junction is a new scheme completed in June 2024. Located near Stirchley, south of the city centre, it represents our ethos to integrate stu- dents into a neighbourhood community and to play a positive part in the pro- cess of regeneration.
On first viewing the site it was clear the existing buildings were in a bad way. One had been occupied by a bank until a decade or so ago. The back part of the site was an old BT exchange building which was completely out of use, in a state of disrepair and wasn’t complementing the local area at all – in fact it was inviting crime.
With University of Birmingham being close – it’s a 15-minute walk away – there was a clear case for student accommodation in that area.
We’ve worked very closely with Howells, whom we’ve successfully partnered with before in Birmingham. Several of our architects, and our construction people, live in the local area. So, the architects are designing a building, and builders are building a building, that’s right where they live!
The contemporary building is in a local material colour palette. It’s very much Victorian terraced housing in the immediate vicinity, and that’s referenced in the facade of the building. We have this amazing bullnose curve with a lovely symmetry that sets up two street corners, creating a good boundary for other developments in and around that.
The curve creates a focal point to the main entrance. It really attracts the interest to the transition between the main artery road and Dogpool Lane and sits among green space and mature trees, which we have been careful to retain.
From a site that badly needed regeneration, we hope we’ve created a stamp that has already massively uplifted the area and encourages continued sym- pathetic regeneration round about it. Hopefully it will be like a beacon of some kind. I can hand on heart say that I feel this is a genuinely beautiful building.
The students themselves will add economically to the area. Stirchley is fast become a very fashionable locale, with national press voting it among the
Birmingham Pershore Junction
best places to live in the UK. So, the immediate environment is appealing for the students. They can enjoy themselves in the locality, as opposed to always having to go into central Birmingham, and this means that the likes of local shops and cafes will benefit from them.
A lot of effort has been made for the communal areas. Tatum Studio worked throughout the project as interior designers and creators of the bespoke furniture. They’ve achieved a cohesive result that works both aesthetically and practically, with even the curved sofas mirroring the curves of the room to sculptural effect. In several aspects brickwork has been used internally, with a colour palette reflective of the terracotta tones used externally.
The majority of the 167 rooms are studios with 42 being en-suites. We’ve worked hard to create very high-end quality that’s also great value for money, being more affordable than local alternatives.
There’s a range of amenity spaces, possessing views of the surroundings and a central landscaped garden. They include a gym, games room, study and collaboration spaces, and a really good cinema room with surround sound. We’ve aimed to make the environment compatible with people get- ting to know each other, but there’s also a quiet study space, similar to being in a library.
You have a lovely view from the front entrance, enabling you to see right through to the courtyard. The courtyard is enclosed, which is important for a lot of students, as they can go into their own garden and feel safe. In the warmer months that can act as an extension of the study area. We’ve got nice outdoor seating with a Ping-Pong table. There’s loads of bike parking for students to be able to safely store their bikes.
The sustainable credentials are very good – it’s a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rated building. It’s all electric, there’s no gas in the scheme. There’s solar PV on the roof as well, so more sustainable technology and no AC. Our design enables us to keep the rooms cool enough, even without AC.
The building is very easily adaptable, given it’s just open floor plates, if there were to be any requirement for change of use in the future. Whether that be private housing or office space the potential is there.
The old site had retail use and we’ve re-provided an element of that. We’re hoping to reinstate the Post Office onsite, plus additional retail or other ser- vices. We’ve identified someone to purchase the unit and made clear we’ll consult with the locals as to what they feel will work best.
Throughout we’ve communicated with the local community, particularly the Selly Park Community Forum. They’re in touch with us all the time and we’ve kept them fully informed at their monthly meetings. They were impressed at how the works were safely managed via the contractor, GMI Construction. The look and feel of the building have been really positively received by them. Understandably, the community hold a vested interest in the building, and how it’s run, so it can integrate with their lives.
Howell’s architects
The elegantly crafted red brick and terracotta facade of Pershore Junction responds to several key local landmarks, including the red brick Selly Park Church and Dogpool Lane Hotel. The design approach brings a clear language to the building’s base, middle and top. To the base, the building sits on a strong masonry plinth comprising a stretcher course laid brickwork creating a robust grounding to the building.
The classic combination of traditional brickwork and terracotta detailing is present throughout, in keeping with the area, but the design seeks to explore these materials in a contemporary way, avoiding a pastiche reinterpretation of the site’s surroundings. Deep, profiled terracotta comprises the signature material framed within smaller brick piers to each window. The terracotta adds interest, intricacy and craftmanship to the elevation while paying reference to the crafted detailing on local landmarks.
At the top storey, the building is set back with terracotta surrounds dressed to each window. The gradual transition from brickwork at the base to terracotta at the top captures the narrated quality of the scheme.
Birmingham Pershore Junction
