Hamstead Hall Redevelopment
In 2019 we were appointed by one of our existing clients to develop a strategic masterplan for this exciting site which includes the refurbishment and reconfiguration of the existing Grade II Listed Hamstead Hall to provide 52 studio, one and two bed residential apartments, and a further 127 studio and one bed new-build residential apartments within the grounds, all for the private rental sector.
Hamstead Hall is a Former Weslyan Methodist Theological Institute, won in competition in 1879 by Goddard and Ball Architects, completed in 1881, extended in 1932, and listed in 1971.
The retained exterior fabric of the Listed Building would remain virtually unaltered, by removing a small section brickwork below three ground floor windows on the inner elevations of each of the Hall cross wings, new entrances are created to serve four apartments per entrance. Similarly with the interior, by linking four of the existing rooms together across the central corridor in the main accommodation wings creates residential units with minimal disturbance to the existing fabric.
All of the proposed new buildings will be constructed of red facing brickwork with standing seam metal roofing, powder coated aluminium windows and feature brickwork reflecting detailing found on the listed building. Pitched roofs are proposed throughout the development and roof pitches and ridge heights have all been carefully designed to echo the predominant character of the Listed Hamstead Hall. The new buildings are located to preserve appropriate distance separations and to benefit from natural light and sunlight where possible. The proposed new buildings are also designed to respect the existing topography of the site and acknowledge the heights, massing and scale of buildings in the immediate area.
Vibrant spaces have been created around the buildings to encourage tenant participation in healthy and sustainable lifestyles and an 1881m long fitness trail, acknowledging the date of the original building, is proposed. There are opportunities to become involved in gardening activities, allotments, community orchards and wildlife walks all designed to reinforce the possibility of the Hamstead Hall redevelopment becoming a distinctive place to live with the retained Listed Building at its centre.
The four new buildings woven into the site are intended to enhance the setting by following fundamental architectural principles of scale, height, massing and alignment, uses appropriate materials and respects existing landscape features.
The proposed development however is more than about providing new homes. It has the potential to create a distinctive place to live with the significance of the retained Listed Building at its very core. It offers a choice of residential accommodation types which respect local context and reinforce the characteristics that make Handsworth Wood unique.
This proposal represents an excellent opportunity to allow innovative design to enhance the significance of a heritage asset and create a fully inclusive, highly sustainable, and environmentally aware neighbourhood within walking distance of the local centre at Handsworth Wood.
