Bishop Gate

Location
Coventry
Client
Barberry Developments
Value
Phase 1: £45m approx. Phase 2: TBC
Completion
Phase 1: 2018 Phase 2: TBC
Size
Phase 1: 725 beds Phase 2: 402 beds

Breaking down educational silos to create a new ecology of learning

Bishop Gate is a joint venture between Barberry Developments and Coventry University. This exciting development provides much needed purpose built student accommodation for the University, which was awarded the “Modern University of the Year Award 2016” by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016.

The site is the recently demolished Royal Mail sorting office, located centrally in Coventry, within a 10 minute walk of the main campus. The design is based around a concept which seeks to protect the long distance views of the City’s “three spires.” Through orientating the five main buildings, varying in height from 17 to 5 storeys on a north south axis, it enables transparency in between them protecting these key views. This concept also minimises the acoustic and air quality impact of the busy Ring Road directly to the north of the site.

A three storey brick and sandstone plinth seeks to ground the building and references the historic scale and materiality of the locality. The plinth contains the entrances to both the student accommodation and two new retail units. This development will provide a new “destination” in Coventry, which will provide further assistance in regenerating this city centre site.

The scheme was developed with input from Hoare Lea’s daylighting team to ensure that the student’s amenity was central to its design. The articulation of each of the five main buildings minimises overshadowing, and when combined with floor to ceiling glazing ensures that the appropriate amounts of daylighting are achieved within the bedrooms.

Coventry City Council had a proactive approach during the pre-application process ensuring a meaningful dialogue was under taken between us. Their pro development attitude and willingness to engage enabled a scheme to be submitted which allowed a detailed planning consent to be granted under delegated powers within 8 weeks.

Stride Treglown’s experience, strength in depth and knowledge in the student accommodation sector enabled the team to progress the scheme design swiftly. Coventry City Council’s planners were actively involved throughout the design development process with Stride’s knowledge and experience ensuring this collaborative approach resulting in a high quality scheme which received overwhelming support from the general public.

Henry Bellfield, Company Director, Barberry Developments