Birmingham Business School set for major expansion

How the University House extension would look

Birmingham Business School is set to undergone major expansion under plans submitted to the city council.

The business school, part of the University of Birmingham, involve the construction of a four-storey building in the grounds of the Grade II-listed University House, Edgbaston Park Road.

The 3,135sqm extension, would provide additional office space for the existing building. The business school is currently split across five buildings: University House, JG Smith, the new Alan Walters Building, Ash House and the ground floor of Elm House due to the insufficient capacity within the existing building.

The university said this had created a logistically difficult teaching environment. The new proposal would enable 103 existing staff to be accommodated in a single location.

The proposed extension would be in two parts – the first being perpendicular to the existing three-storey University House building (which dates from 1908), the second being at a 30-degree angle to the first.

The proposed extension would be attached to the listed building using an 8.5m wide, two-storey flat roofed link.

Two further applications have been made in support of the scheme; an application for listed building consent and an application for the provision of 42 parking spaces within the former Munrow Sports Centre site.

University House underwent a previous expansion in 2002 when a three-storey extension was built onto the rear of the building.

University House was built in 1908 as a student hall of residence to the designs of Herbert Buckland and is a large block in the Queen Anne style with considerable presence on the site. The Beale wing was added to the north-east in 1913, and has been substantially extended over the years, most recently in 2002 when the building was converted to the business school.

The site lies within a conservation area and adjoins the King Edward’s School with its Grade II* chapel.

A report to Thursday’s city planning committee states the proposal respects the existing listed building and would screen the less successful 2002 extension.

“The scheme represents good design and suits the character of the listed building and the character of the wider conservation area,” it said.

“The University would benefit from the consolidation and improvement of the business school and this would in turn support the ongoing success of the University’s growth strategy with proportionate infrastructure growth.”

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close