Education Projects

The Parkside atrium has been home to an exhibition space and small cafe area since the building opened. Due to space pressures we were commissioned to transform the atrium into a contemporary co-working / social learning space to maximise its use.

The project was won via competitive tender for the interior design and FF&E of University College Birmingham's latest building which will house a range of facilities including a diner, student union, employability office, teaching and breakout spaces, staff facilities, and specialist sports teaching spaces.

RIBA Regional Award 2021
Photos by Rob Parrish Photography.

This brief for Birmingham City University required the conversion of and both the interior and exterior refurbishment of a former office block into a student hub with social, study and hybrid spaces following consultation with student representative groups.

Following the completion of this project by another architect a year before we were commissioned to undertake a full FF&E review and re-design of BCU's Curzon Library to optimise its use. We worked closely with the Student Union and Library staff to understand the issues and develop solutions.

We completed the furniture selection for the refurbishment at Shenstone House, Halesowen College, which included an update of the learning resource centre and cafeteria. We worked closely alongside the architects for this time sensitive project, BPN Architects, as work had to be completed during the six week summer holiday.

During various projects throughout the summer for Birmingham City University’s Parkside Building, we worked on the re-design and furniture procurement for a co-working space on the 3rd floor.

This brief for Birmingham City University was to relocate circa 200 of the University’s Professional Services departments into the city centre, including Marketing department, the International Office, and the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, as well as a floor for the Vice Chancellor’s offices (VCO). The design embraces new ways of working, moving staff from traditional cellular office spaces to an open plan environment with the emphasis on the use of breakout spaces.

BCU took on the lease of a 56,000 sq. ft shell and core building and our brief was to relocate over 500 of the University’s Professional Services staff to Birmingham city centre into the four storey (plus basement) building. The departments included Estates, Campus Management Services, HR, Finance, IT, Learning and Library Resources, and Academic Services

As part of the Birmingham City Council’s schools programme, Willmott Dixon commissioned us to develop the Acivico scheme and design a new-build two-storey building for Allen's Croft Primary School, Kings Heath, Birmingham. It provides additional classrooms to the existing PFI school.​​

Following the Technology Hub project we completed at the School of Jewellery in Vittoria Street we were commissioned by Birmingham City University to assist with the fit out of the areas they are leasing in the new Assay Office in the Jewellery Quarter for their Gemmology students.

Despite a very tight design period and an even tighter construction programme, we were able to completely transform the whole floor from a dated 1960s interior to one fit for a contemporary design school, for Birmingham School of Architecture.