The Joseph Priestley Building

Completed in May 2016, The Joseph Priestley Building forms the first commercial phase of the Aukett Swanke designed Eastside Locks master plan which received planning consent in 2008. The site is located east of Birmingham City centre & a 10 minute walk from New Street Station, optimally located for the future arrival of HS2. This speculatively developed office building for our client Goodman achieved detailed planning consent in February 2014, and secured a full pre-let in June 2015 - becoming the new administrative HQ for BCU’s Eastside campus. The scheme is rated BREEAM “Very Good” and comprises four storeys of highly efficient floor space wrapped around a perimeter core, together with basement car parking and cyclist facilities. The articulated massing is defined by a large cantilevered entrance corner which addresses the primary approach from Eastside City Park. The building envelope employs a restrained material palette, using a careful combination of high quality glass, glazed terracotta and GRC cladding elements to express the ordering of the façade. The material choice offers a variety of textures which respond to the site’s quality of light- contributing significantly to the quality of its immediate urban environment and setting the standard for the wider Eastside Locks master plan, due to complete in 2026