Commercial, Conservation, Residential
Summer Hill House
Jewellery Quarter, BirminghamPart demolition and part conversion of existing buildings and erection of rear and side extensions and townhouses to provide 41 residential dwellings (Use Class C3) and flexible floor space comprising commercial, business and service uses (use class E), with associated works, infrastructure and landscaping
Summer Hill House was principally built in two phases in the first half the 20th Century. Firstly the west side 2-storey ‘Building A’ and secondly the larger set of 3-storey buildings, ‘Building B’ to the east. While the two buildings abut each other they are not joined internally. Both phases were designed as grand institutional buildings referencing the substantial Victorian detached and semi-detached properties which were located on and around the site up to early 1900’s
when the sites redevelopment began. With closure of Summer Hill House’s former uses by Birmingham City Council, the site has the opportunity to return to its original residential use.
The buildings last know uses, when under its previous Birmingham City Council ownership:
Building A: Use Class E(c) (formerly B1) Office Planning Use Class
General office accommodation for Birmingham City Council (BCC) Adult Social Care Teams from various services including; HIV, Prison Service, Deaf Mental Health and Hospital Discharge teams. Building A was operated independently from Building B. The building is now used by the applicant for offices.
Building B: Use Class C2 Residential Care Planning Use Class
Formally occupied by Change Grow Live (CGL), a national health and social care charity providing residential hostel care for people recovering from drug and alcohol dependency. Ground accommodation provided office and social space with residential accommodation above. The building is now used by the applicant for the same residential social care use.
STATUS: Full Planning Application approved. Technical Design for construction progressing.
Client
Claremont Land & New Homes Summerhill Ltd
Value
£7m (2021)
Gross Area
3,700sqm
Building Contract
TBC
Role
Architect, Lead Designer, RIBA Stages 1-7
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It is proposed to renovate the original buildings with institutional security measures removed. Windows will be replaced with new sliding box sash’s with a performance to achieve the necessary acoustic and thermal performance. It is proposed to form a new main pedestrian entrance through a link between the two parts of Building B with access and views through to the gardens to the rear. Front doors will be formed to ground floor apartments. These improvements to the existing buildings, combined with appropriate soft landscaping, will significantly enhance the buildings appearance and general amenity of the Terrace.
It is proposed to remove a series of unsympathetic functional extensions to the rear. To improve external circulation, it is proposed to create an external opening under the rear extension to Building B to provide access to the east side of the site from the west sides rear courtyard. A series of new buildings and extensions are proposed, referencing the scale and mass of the original buildings and those that surround the site in a contemporary contextual manner:
2-storey ‘coach house’ to side of Building A
3-storey wing to the rear of Building A
4-storey wing to the rear of Building B
4-storey townhouses to rear of Building B
Conversion of the existing buildings and development of new buildings will provide a range of accommodation types and scales including a commercial building on the boundary with Currie and Warner to create an acoustic buffer . All the dwellings are in accordance with the Nationally Described Space Standards to ensure a high-quality residential development including:
15no 1-Bed Dwellings
22no 2-Bed + Dwellings
4no 3-Bed Townhouses
41no Dwellings
The development will include appropriate soft landscaping to Summer Hill Terrace with a series of hard and soft landscaping courtyard opportunities to the rear separately referencing both
historic work yards and formal gardens.
The proposed development presents a significant opportunity to restore and enhance these series of buildings in the conservation area to secure a maintained high-quality future for the site.
