Crossways is a concrete tower block that has been given an upgrade. Built in the early 1980’s as Civic House, Crossways is an 11-storey concrete framed building, clad with precast panels. We carried out refurbishment works to update the historic building. Changes to the surrounding road network have resulted in a much better pedestrian link, providing the perfect opportunity to extend the central business district.

To improve the appearance of the building and bring it more in line with the modern architecture appearing in Birmingham, terracotta cladding has been used. This breaks up the repetitive appearance of the existing building and creates a focal point at the most prominent corner, tying into the vertical lines already present. The existing windows have been replaced to provide more light into the floors and to further modernise the buildings appearance.

Added Value:
Site constraints meant the use of a crane was not feasible, resulting in design changes to reduce the lifting works that needed to be carried out. We also removed the need to create new foundations for the cladding which would have been difficult lying within the influence zone of the main arterial trunk road tunnels through Birmingham. Both these constraints resulted in calculating the exact number of existing panels to be removed to reduce lifting and “pay” for the extra loading onto the concrete core; streamlining the programme and reducing cost.

Key Points:

• Tenth floor moved to a new plant deck constructed on the roof.
• New beams installed strengthening existing columns.
• 36 cycle spaces created along with changing facilities and showers.

Awards/Nominations:

• Structural Engineering Awards 2018, Midlands Counties Regional Group – Low Carbon Building Design/
  Sustainability Award: Commendation