Upper Trinity Street is an exciting residential-led development located in Birmingham’s Digbeth area, a place celebrated for its vibrant street art and industrial heritage. For the developer, Cole Waterhouse, the project is a chance to restore the urban fabric along Upper Trinity Street into bustling area of urban living and leisure space.
With the delivery of creative, cultural and commercial spaces on the ground level, upper levels will provide high-quality apartments, providing much-needed accommodation to an area which is a stone’s throw away from Birmingham City Centre.
Challenges and Solutions
The Upper Trinity Street project is extensive and will be tackled in phases. With multiple units making up the project, renaissance engineers are starting with the first stage to the South of the development at blocks EFG.
To achieve the goals of the development, there were several challenges to overcome. These challenges were primarily due to the area’s complex topography and the need to blend new developments with the historical tapestry of the locale. What’s more, our team have had to approach the project with agility, with developing designs requiring our considered and timely responses.
Considered Engineering: From the South to the North, there is a significant site level difference on the site of the EFG block. These topographical constraints have meant that the design of each of the three buildings within this phase will need to contend with almost a 3-and-a-half metre level difference.
The site’s varied ground levels required intricate foundation solutions and considered positioning of retaining walls to account for the various level differences and to facilitate buildability.
Adaptive designs at speed: Initially planned and designed with a concrete frame, discussions led to a shift towards a light gauge steel frame alternative. Ultimately, this led to a fairly sizable redesign from an engineering perspective as this solution required a transfer floor at level 1.
One of the significant challenges was therefore maintaining adequate headroom in lower levels while incorporating the transfer beams. Our engineering team worked closely with architects to strategically position the beams where they would not compromise space or aesthetic appeal. This involved optimising beam sizes and locations to minimise their impact on headroom and interior spaces.
Historical Preservation and Cultural Significance: At the heart of Upper Trinity Street’s vision was the integration of Digbeth’s historical elements. The project not only preserved but also repurposed iconic structures like the Lockkeeper’s Cottage and a former pump house, transforming them into vibrant community spaces. What’s more, the inclusion of the Museum of Youth Culture and another dedicated to the city’s musical history will sit within the bounds of the project.
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The works carried out so far are just the start of the development. Once finished, the location will be completely transformed, granting a new lease of life to site.
There’s still a lot of work with multiple future phases in the pipeline. We’ll be sure to update you with next steps as we get there.
