Arup Associates' Campus
Subscribe now to instantly view this image
Subscribe to the Architects’ Journal (AJ) for instant access to the AJ Buildings Library, an online database of nearly 2,000 exemplar buildings in photographs, plans, elevations and details.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
Arup Associates’ Campus at Solihull, near Birmingham
Peter Cook/VIEW (website) Download Original
Campus for Arup Associates designed to house 350 staff working in a variety of disciplines from structural engineering to car design
The two-storey building is laid out as two long pavilions, sited to relate to the contours of the land. The buidling contains open plan and enclosed offices, a reception area, a cafe and service areas.
The slope, used to reduce on-site cut and fill, allows the creation of internal half levels and atria that ensure connections between the work spaces.
The weathering of the timber cladding melds the building into its landscape. Above the eaves, roof pods are prominently expressed. These distinctive elements define the environmentally responsible and responsive space as a sustainable office building.
The building is designed to be naturally ventilated and to maximise daylight penetration via the roof pods. Through a chimney-like stack effect they drive the ventilation naturally and bring controlled daylight deep into the heart of the building.
Exposed concrete floor and roof soffits provide thermal mass. Externally, the contextual timber louvres control solar gain and glare, and the louvres and opening windows can be manually operated.
Data
- Begun: Dec 1999
- Completed: 2001
- Floor area: 6,056m2
- Sector: Office
- Total cost: £72M
- Tender date: Jul 1999
- Procurement: JCT 98 without quantities
- Address: Blythe Gate, Blythe Valley Park, Shirley, Solihull, B90 8AE, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Arup Associates
- Client: Arup Associates
- Main contractor: Tilbury Douglas
- Structural engineer: Arup
- Quantity surveyor: Arup
- Services engineer: Arup
- Landscape architect: Roger Griffiths
- Landscape architect: Bernard Ede Associates
Suppliers
- Timber Cladding: Swift Horsman Group
- Zinc-aluminium coated roofing: CA Profiles
- Roof pods: Lanbeuf
- Glazing: Solaglas
- Entrance ponds: Water Technique
AJBL Sponsor
Armstrong World Industries
A global leader in providing customised, multi material ceiling and wall solutions