University of Birmingham – University House Extension

Introduction

The University of Birmingham University House project entailed the connection of a new four story 34,000 sq ft building to the existing grade II listed building on the grounds of the University of Birmingham. The stunning new build project provides additional Grade A office facilities, whilst the new wing of the business school enables the existing staff members to relocate.

The extension has been broken into two phases:

• The first phase of the building perpendicular to the existing three-storey University House.
• The second phase of development has been built at a 30-degree angle to the first building.

The extension benefits from extensive glazed partitions throughout, along with a spacious atrium and triple height ceiling spaces. Ensuring our great commitment to collaboration and finding the most appropriate construction solutions for our customers, this project was procured through the (CWM) framework.

Ensuring the highest quality

With all Morgan Sindall Construction projects, quality of the build is one of our main priorities for our customer. For the purpose of this building we needed to ensure the quality was at a standard to attract the top professors across the globe to both reside and teach at the University. During the early phases, finishes including the stone cladding were explored with the customer team. The customer opted for a special stone that is quarried in Indianapolis and then finished in China. Furthermore, the pre-cast concrete frame is a class C finish, meaning it will remain exposed following installation.

The team faced the conundrum of ensuring we caused as little disruption as possible to our neighbours and with the project being positioned in a tight space surrounded by many other buildings and businesses, it was paramount to select the most innovative solutions possible. The current business school lecture theatre resides next to the project. Therefore, to make sure teaching could continue as usual, the team installed additional specialist acoustic panelling inside the lecture theatre before the project began. Mindful that the team were constructing around an education facility, regular noise monitoring had also taken place with agreed levels and restrictions to be kept within. On the other side resides the private school (the King Edward Boys School) as well as the headmasters house. The team commissioned additional trees to be installed to provide a protective screening from the project whilst doing so with an environmentally friendly method. This design feature means the windows force the eye view away from the school and down the driveway approach to the building. Key to the scheme was the preservation of the existing business school which is a Grade II listed building. Morgan Sindall Construction are dedicated to preserving heritage features which are vital to the community and with input from the Heritage and Conservation officer we were able to protect this building during the project.

Social Impact

Morgan Sindall Construction are committed to supporting local SME businesses and providing as much opportunity as possible to the local community. As such, 96% of our local spend was within a 60-mile radius. In addition, we strive to educate the next generation and nurture their interest in the construction industry. The team welcomed visitors from the Institute of Civil Engineers which included West Midlands based graduates and students to the project. They were given a presentation taking them through the project and Morgan Sindall Construction as a company. The group were able to view the site and have a question and answer session with the project team.

Morgan Sindall Construction has worked closely with the design team to produce a building of real quality which sits appropriately in the context of the original listed building. The extension is a great addition to the university’s estate”.

Peter Cochrane, deputy director of estates, University of Birmingham