Hanging Gardens of Babylon-Inspired Residential Units Proposed for Birmingham

A new housing complex in the form of 500 terraced units has been proposed by London practice Architects of Invention for the city of Birmingham, in response to its growing multicultural population. Drawing inspiration from the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Garden Hill’s formal composition is that of two staggered 25-storey towers, with private and communal gardens on each level of terraces.

With the project's swooping mass, the residences aim to offer panoramic views of Birmingham, given its central location in the Digbeth area, a 10-minute walk from the city center. Additionally, the staggered towers capture ample daylighting over the course of the day, with the south end benefitting from the morning sun and the north end in the evening.

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Courtesy of Architects of Invention
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Courtesy of Architects of Invention

A central plinth caters to various programs for the students, such as music recording studios and rental spaces to accommodate startups, among other communal spaces. At street level, various retailers will add to the identity of High Street Bordesley.

60% of the 500 student units will be single bedrooms, while the remaining 40% will accommodate two people. An elevated park and rooftop garden will accompany the units, embodying a modern day Babylonian character.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon-Inspired Residential Units Proposed for Birmingham - Facade, Cityscape
Courtesy of Architects of Invention
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Courtesy of Architects of Invention

Sustainability is another element that the project strives for, with the complex being constructed entirely from cross-laminated timber (CLT). Additionally, the project aims to capitalize on the UK’s increasingly affordable renewable energy sources including wind and solar power, which will be responsible for underfloor space heating and thermal hot water supplies.

The 38,500 square meters Garden Hill is also located within close proximity to Birmingham’s Custard Factory, a local hub for media providers, artists, and small creative businesses.

News via: Architects of Invention.

  • Architects

  • Design Team

    Dominykas Daunys, Carlos Hurtado, Nikoloz Japaridze, Anton Khmelnitskiy, Vano Ksnelashvili, Davit Tsanava
  • Structural Consultant

    Engenuiti
  • Landscape Consultant

    HED
  • Interior Consultant

    GAP
  • Developers

    FUTIQUE Developers
  • Collaborators

    AlphaOmega
  • MEP Engineers

    DSA
  • Area

    38500.0 m2
  • Project Year

    2017
  • Photographs

  • Architects

  • MEP Engineering

    DSA

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About this office
Cite: Osman Bari. "Hanging Gardens of Babylon-Inspired Residential Units Proposed for Birmingham" 12 Apr 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/868636/hanging-gardens-of-babylon-inspired-student-residences-proposed-for-birmingham> ISSN 0719-8884

Courtesy of Architects of Invention

以巴比伦空中花园为设计灵感的住宅公寓

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