Bupa Healthcare, Edgbaston
Designed with three storey slate-clad corner elements forming a north cube at the site entrance and a south cube at the home entrance, interlinked by two storey built form with an extensive roof terrace above.
Historic BBC TV Pebble Mill site converted to healthcare centre
To break up the mass of the built form of the single floorplate building, so that it relates to the large detached residential buildings in the vicinity of the site, the elevations have been fragmented into distinct elements. These also related to different functions within the home; the larger masses generally reveal the communal day spaces while the smaller windows, with less formal articulation, indicate private resident areas.
Other varying set backs within the main elevations, together with changes in the roof form, parapet lines and low level bays, have been provided to further articulate the massing and form of the building and provide an architectural design which includes traditional architectural elements delivered in a contemporary manner.
The external appearance of the building has been carefully designed to bridge the aesthetic gap between the traditional buildings that front Bristol Road and the contemporary Dental Hospital building. This approach has resulted in a blend of architectural themes and materials so that the care home has a contemporary feel whilst its detailed design used traditional materials sympathetically to the wider architectural context.
Total floor area
Number of bedrooms
Window style variations
Roof Terrace
Iconic architectural form in a prominent gateway location
Two slate clad cubes are used to articulate the building and add visual interests. The cubes are located at either end of the building, one on the Bristol Road frontage, and the other on the southern corner, at the main entrance to the building. At ground floor level below the slate elements of the building the building is to be clad in timber which adds further articulation and interest to the building and complements the use of natural materials. The element of building which links the two ‘cubes’ (the south west elevation) will predominantly finished in be brick with timber clad panelling used to articulate the windows. Render detailing around the oriel windows is used to add further visual interest to the central section of the building.
Anthracite window frames and doors have been chosen to contrast with the choice of wall materials and to add definition to the building. The main entrance to the site makes use of floor to ceiling glazing, so it is clearly visible to visitors and staff as they enter the site. An extensive roof garden has been created on the second floor between the two cubes. Trellising has been used to encourage further greenery to grow and to create another tranquil outdoor space that can be enjoyed by residents and their visitors.
