Imperial House, Solihull

Imperial House is a residential-led development delivering 60 high-quality apartments as the final phase of the Princes Gate regeneration project in Solihull town centre. The scheme forms part of a wider mixed-use transformation that has revitalised previously underutilised land, creating a vibrant and well-connected residential neighbourhood.

A key feature of the project is the innovative reuse of an existing precast concrete multi-storey car park, which has been repurposed to support the new residential development. This approach not only retained elements of the existing structure but also contributed to a more efficient and sustainable construction process.

The project involved the reuse of an existing precast concrete car park, requiring a full reassessment and re-engineering of the original structural and foundation arrangement to accommodate residential loading and layouts.

In addition, the site is located adjacent to a live railway line, introducing constraints around construction, safety, and structural coordination.

Farrow Walsh developed a re-engineered foundation and structural solution to enable the conversion of the car park into a residential building. A steel frame was introduced to form a support platform for the light gauge steel frame (LGSF) superstructure above, allowing the new development to be efficiently integrated with the existing structure.

Careful coordination was undertaken to manage the constraints associated with the live railway line, ensuring that both design and construction could be carried out safely and effectively. Through innovative reuse and considered structural design, Farrow Walsh enabled the successful transformation of an existing asset into high-quality residential accommodation.