Refurbishment for the School of Architecture for Birmingham City University
Birmingham School of Architecture needed its entire floor transformed, from a dated 1960s interior into a space fit for a contemporary design school, under a very tight design period and an even tighter construction programme. The brief called for a full suite of specialist spaces: studios, crit rooms, exhibition space, seminar rooms, staff and research offices, and a central hub for informal, social and collaborative learning.
The Challenge
Our Response
The design centres on a feature breakout 'hub' space that acts as an informal studio for tutorials, seminars, independent working and social events, anchored by a 15-metre-long bending, folding bench that houses student lockers beneath a continuous oak worktop. At its highest point, a 'seminar bar' doubles as a tutorial point. Glass-fronted spaces throughout encourage interaction between studios, while a flexible ceiling system is designed to suspend exhibition panels wherever needed. The orange brand identity was a deliberate nod to the orange moving crates staff used when relocating from their previous base in Perry Barr.
The Outcome
The result is a complete transformation of the floor into a contemporary design school environment, delivered despite the demanding programme. Studio spaces, crit rooms and social hub sit alongside one another with genuine flexibility, giving staff and students a building that supports both focused design work and the informal exchange that architectural education relies on.
"The space* studio has been working for the University in the capacity of architects and interior designers since 2003 and continues to work with us to the present day in and on-going relationship. We often get them involved in the trickier projects that need an innovative, design led, yet realistic approach, typically within a very demanding timeframe.
The range of projects they have completed for us include major interior refurbishments of teaching accommodation, fit out work, signage design and implementation, and an OFSTED compliant nursery. This range of projects is testament to their ability, flexibility and attitude to working in partnership with the Estates Department and or other consultants."
