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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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Save this picture! Courtesy of Architects of Invention

Save this picture! 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.

Save this picture! Courtesy of Architects of Invention

Save this picture! 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 Architects of Invention

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 Courtesy of Architects of Invention

Tonkin Liu Reveals the Cradle Towers of Zhengzhou London-based firm Tonkin Liu has released images of its competition-winning Trade Centre in Zhengzhou, China. The Cradle Towers of Zhengzhou will comprise of five mixed-use towers swooping out of a ring-shaped podium. Inspired by the nearby Songshan mountainscape, the scheme aims to celebrate the city's origins as it rockets into a high-tech future.