The construction phase of a new £24 million purpose-built managed student accommodation project on Dogpool Lane in Birmingham began recently.

Regenerating a former BT brownfield site within the established Stirchley community, the Alumno development will accommodate the growing number of students attending local universities and the city’s dental hospital, taking pressure off private housing in the area. Funded by Woh Hup, the building will comprise a mix of cluster beds and single occupancy studio rooms for 167 residents, together with a reception and communal areas. The scheme will also provide an improved retail space for the site’s original Post Office and newsagent outlet, which has been relocated close by during construction.

The local community will also benefit from an enhanced public area in front of the building, which will include landscaping, seating and cycle stands. Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, the new building will comprise brickwork and terracotta detailing, which references local materials, while also providing a new identity for the building. Dav Bansal, Partner at Glenn Howells Architects, which designed the development, said: “The project reinstates a piece of under-utilised green space as a matured setting for the building for both students and the local community to enjoy.

It will provide a much needed and sustainable home to embed students in the wider community, but also a catalyst for regenerating this local neighbourhood.” Commenting on the project, Alumno Managing Director David Campbell said: “It’s great to be celebrating the start of work on another exciting project. Our development will improve the local area visually, provide an economic boost to local businesses, and deliver much needed accommodation for Birmingham’s growing student population.”