Britain’s second city aims to be the first to stage-manage the residential developer’s role in urban regeneration. Josephine Smit reports from a seminar on the City council’s imminent urban design guide and its focus on quality and sustainability.

The M40 is becoming a well-driven route for London developers as they head for Birmingham to snap up empty office buildings for residential conversion.

The city’s residential renaissance was pioneered by locally-based developers like Mark Humphries and Crosby Homes, but now outsiders like Crest Nicholson’s London operation, Nicholson Estates, are moving into the territory.

Open season for developers was declared almost a year ago when Knight Frank flagged up Birmingham as potentially hot for property. “All the necessary determinants exist to provide a healthy demand for any quality residential scheme that is developed in Birmingham city centre,” the agent said in its regional report on city living. Those determinants include a surplus of vacant 1960s and 70s office space, an under-supply of quality residential development, demand for people in the 25-35 age range to live centrally, and an ability to attract inward investment.

The city has also laid out the welcome mat for developers. “Birmingham City Council is seeking to encourage further city centre residential development without additional support from the Government,” noted Knight Frank’s report.

The City Council has already carried out research to define housing need. Next spring it will launch design guidance that will shape the future city and give architects and developers a clear brief on how to build in Birmingham.

The first in a series of documents, Places for Living, was previewed last month at a conference on the city’s urban regeneration hosted by RIBA Housing Client Forum, Zurich Insurance Building Guarantees and Building Homes.

Places for Living firmly promotes quality in Birmingham’s housing, whether suburban - which 80% of the city’s housing stock is - or urban. “There’s a move away from standardisation, and a move towards development to fit its context,” says Martin Brown, urban design manager in the urban design group of the council’s department of planning and architecture.

“The guide recognises environmental concerns, reducing use of the car, efficient use of land, high density, and most fundamentally - the creation of desirable, safe and attractive places,” he says.

Most local authority design guides confine their concerns to residential development, but Birmingham’s takes a holistic approach.

“This guide is about places,” says council urban designer Kenny Brown. “We are currently separating work, housing, etc, and car use is enormous, so we are looking at how to make a more sustainable environment.”

In this respect, Places for Living is in tune with Lord Rogers’ Urban Task Force, especially on such issues as sustainability and density.

Even the Urban Task Force report’s comment that “many quantitative planning measures - residential density, overlooking distances and car parking - are being used in an overly simplistic way to dictate design” is echoed by the council.

“We want people to look at the objectives behind the standard, to meet the standards through their design, rather than designing to a standard. The tail is wagging the dog on standards,” says Brown.

But what if a developer feels brave enough to try to do that with a modern design? “Our guide will encourage developers to do that,” says Brown.

“They will find support from us if they want to do that. We’re rediscovering the tried and tested principles of townmaking, but with modern design and technology,” he says.

Birmingham's primer for placemaking

Density: There is a clear vote in favour of high-density mixed use, including homes over retail, but Brown cautions: "High density has got to be done well and in an appropriate location. It is not about squeezing space standards." He points to Mark Humphries' Millennium Apartments as an example of good use of space. Open space: "We are moving away from a quantitative approach to open space, to a qualitative approach, making open space a focal space so that it adds value," says Brown. But there is still debate within the council on whether pocket parks or larger green spaces are preferred. "We will probably look at what is right for the individual location," says Brown. Street layout: "There is a need for developers to look at context, and link new development into places around it," says Brown. The guide favours linked streets but, unlike the design guide accompanying DB32, does not completely outlaw the cul-de-sac. In a truncated, courtyard-style form, the cul-de-sac can be a welcome addition to the urban environment. In suburban locations the cul-de-sac is considered acceptable where it is in addition to a permeable network of streets. Street frontage: The guide marks a return to traditions by preferring housing to have a clear public and private face, fronting onto the street and backing onto other housebacks and gardens. Gable ends should be "active" stresses Brown, and contain windows rather than being blank, brick elevations. Rows of garages and bin stores do not make for attractive street frontages either. Looks: "Build on the positive characteristics of an area, not the negative," says Brown. That should not be taken as a remit to reproduce the past. "We are saying use the context and build new forms to take us into the next century. It is a fact that people will pay for good design, that it can add value," he says. Cala Homes' Britannic Park has proved that, and the council supported Cala's new build additions to the site. "It is a bold, modern design that contrasts with the traditional housing around," says Brown. Sustainability also means: Buildings should be flexible and adaptable. And the council wants to see developers using modern technology, like super insulation, to improve the environment for the longer term.

Millennium Apartments, Newhall Street

Raw material: 1970s-built BT office building 10 storeys high. "It's not pretty, there are not many pretty buildings left to convert in Birmingham, but it was built to a very high specification," says Mark Humphries. The developer bought the building without planning permission at an auction. "I had faith in the planners," says Humphries. Conversion: 52 fully fitted apartments, plus 13 shell homes (shown above). "I had a vision of a hotel-type building, that would be very controlled, not like a loft scheme," says Humphries. The entrance foyer has cherrywood wall panelling (top right) and is staffed by a concierge. There is also a gym. Outcome: Apartments have that hard-to-define attribute, "quality of space" according to Kenny Brown, urban designer with Birmingham City Council (right). Humphries has not squeezed the maximum number of units into the scheme; some of the one bedroom apartments have as much as 765 ft2 of space, and two-bed units have up to 1464 ft2. Shell lofts ranged in space from 660 ft2 to 1225 ft2. "In fact we reduced the number of apartments," says Humphries. "We started out putting five on a floor, then went to four, then three. Putting lots of flats in is not necessarily the best option." Window mullions allowed the developer maximum scope in siting the dividing walls of rooms and apartments, and the flexibility to change to meet the market. In all there were 22 variations in apartment layout. The scheme sold at o176/ft2. To maximise the return from units the urban pioneer developer educated Birmingham's market to think square footage, not bedrooms. "We marked out space to show them what so many square foot would look like. We bought the major building societies to the scheme and showed them," says Humphries. Project team: architect - Bryant & Priest, structural engineer - Stewart & Harris, quantity surveyor - Morgan Devy, mechanical engineer - Hockley Design.

Britannic Park, Moseley

Raw material: Low-rise 1960s building of architectural merit and built using high-quality materials, including marble cladding, which overlooks a cricket pitch and has spectacular views. "It is not a white elephant. It is a significant urban landmark," says Malcolm Payne, director of architect Malcolm Payne Design Group. Conversion: 95 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with an extra floor added to the top of the building to create penthouses - some duplexes - of up to 2500 ft2 (shown above). Cala is also developing two new three-storey curved buildings containing 18 two and three-bedroom apartments. The site's landscape is being resculpted to create a sunken approach road and a private courtyard. It also has a health club and concierge in the stylish foyer (top right). Outcome: The council approved of the design proposals put forward by Cala, although Moseley contains mainly traditional-looking houses. "We wanted it to be a flagship scheme for us," says Alan Brown, managing director of Cala Homes (Midlands). "We exploited the potential of what was there, like the view," says Payne. "The new buildings follow the form of the existing. The design reinforces ownership and identity, with the enclosure of the courtyard providing a break between private and public space." Cala has found buyers willing to pay for the added value of high-ceilinged rooms and quality living space (right). Penthouses have not yet come to the market, but the scheme is already achieving prices of o210/ft2. "The Moseley market was at around o110 when we launched," points out Brown. Project team: architect - Malcolm Payne Design Group, quantity surveyor - Paul Mantle, employers agent - Gardiner Theobald Mann,, mechanical engineer, contractor - Ballast Wiltshier.

Birmingham's primer for placemaking

Density: There is a clear vote in favour of high-density mixed use, including homes over retail, but Brown cautions: "High density has got to be done well and in an appropriate location. It is not about squeezing space standards." He points to Mark Humphries' Millennium Apartments as an example of good use of space. Open space: "We are moving away from a quantitative approach to open space, to a qualitative approach, making open space a focal space so that it adds value," says Brown. But there is still debate within the council on whether pocket parks or larger green spaces are preferred. "We will probably look at what is right for the individual location," says Brown. Street layout: "There is a need for developers to look at context, and link new development into places around it," says Brown. The guide favours linked streets but, unlike the design guide accompanying DB32, does not completely outlaw the cul-de-sac. In a truncated, courtyard-style form, the cul-de-sac can be a welcome addition to the urban environment. In suburban locations the cul-de-sac is considered acceptable where it is in addition to a permeable network of streets. Street frontage: The guide marks a return to traditions by preferring housing to have a clear public and private face, fronting onto the street and backing onto other housebacks and gardens. Gable ends should be "active" stresses Brown, and contain windows rather than being blank, brick elevations. Rows of garages and bin stores do not make for attractive street frontages either. Looks: "Build on the positive characteristics of an area, not the negative," says Brown. That should not be taken as a remit to reproduce the past. "We are saying use the context and build new forms to take us into the next century. It is a fact that people will pay for good design, that it can add value," he says. Cala Homes' Britannic Park has proved that, and the council supported Cala's new build additions to the site. "It is a bold, modern design that contrasts with the traditional housing around," says Brown. Sustainability also means: Buildings should be flexible and adaptable. And the council wants to see developers using modern technology, like super insulation, to improve the environment for the longer term.

Millennium Apartments, Newhall Street

Raw material: 1970s-built BT office building 10 storeys high. "It's not pretty, there are not many pretty buildings left to convert in Birmingham, but it was built to a very high specification," says Mark Humphries. The developer bought the building without planning permission at an auction. "I had faith in the planners," says Humphries. Conversion: 52 fully fitted apartments, plus 13 shell homes (shown above). "I had a vision of a hotel-type building, that would be very controlled, not like a loft scheme," says Humphries. The entrance foyer has cherrywood wall panelling (top right) and is staffed by a concierge. There is also a gym. Outcome: Apartments have that hard-to-define attribute, "quality of space" according to Kenny Brown, urban designer with Birmingham City Council (right). Humphries has not squeezed the maximum number of units into the scheme; some of the one bedroom apartments have as much as 765 ft2 of space, and two-bed units have up to 1464 ft2. Shell lofts ranged in space from 660 ft2 to 1225 ft2. "In fact we reduced the number of apartments," says Humphries. "We started out putting five on a floor, then went to four, then three. Putting lots of flats in is not necessarily the best option." Window mullions allowed the developer maximum scope in siting the dividing walls of rooms and apartments, and the flexibility to change to meet the market. In all there were 22 variations in apartment layout. The scheme sold at o176/ft2. To maximise the return from units the urban pioneer developer educated Birmingham's market to think square footage, not bedrooms. "We marked out space to show them what so many square foot would look like. We bought the major building societies to the scheme and showed them," says Humphries. Project team: architect - Bryant & Priest, structural engineer - Stewart & Harris, quantity surveyor - Morgan Devy, mechanical engineer - Hockley Design.

Britannic Park, Moseley

Raw material: Low-rise 1960s building of architectural merit and built using high-quality materials, including marble cladding, which overlooks a cricket pitch and has spectacular views. "It is not a white elephant. It is a significant urban landmark," says Malcolm Payne, director of architect Malcolm Payne Design Group. Conversion: 95 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with an extra floor added to the top of the building to create penthouses - some duplexes - of up to 2500 ft2 (shown above). Cala is also developing two new three-storey curved buildings containing 18 two and three-bedroom apartments. The site's landscape is being resculpted to create a sunken approach road and a private courtyard. It also has a health club and concierge in the stylish foyer (top right). Outcome: The council approved of the design proposals put forward by Cala, although Moseley contains mainly traditional-looking houses. "We wanted it to be a flagship scheme for us," says Alan Brown, managing director of Cala Homes (Midlands). "We exploited the potential of what was there, like the view," says Payne. "The new buildings follow the form of the existing. The design reinforces ownership and identity, with the enclosure of the courtyard providing a break between private and public space." Cala has found buyers willing to pay for the added value of high-ceilinged rooms and quality living space (right). Penthouses have not yet come to the market, but the scheme is already achieving prices of o210/ft2. "The Moseley market was at around o110 when we launched," points out Brown. Project team: architect - Malcolm Payne Design Group, quantity surveyor - Paul Mantle, employers agent - Gardiner Theobald Mann,, mechanical engineer, contractor - Ballast Wiltshier.

Source

Building Homes