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CDC Studio

MSCP

A landmark for Coventry celebrating the motorcar. A design for a multistorey carpark that responds to context and maximises its site and is a joy!

The aspiration was for a building that acts as a fine piece of architecture and provides an opportunity for civic branding for the University.  

Coventry University Brief

Brief 

The brief from Coventry University was for a MSCP of a target capacity of 1000 spaces. 

A central parking facility , the building would release for development other sites within University that were currently used for parking.  The location of the site provides good integration with the highway system of the city and good access to the University Campus.  The use of the car park was predominantly  ‘tidal’ , the main vehicles movements occurring during rush hour periods (AM and PM). Within the brief was provision for disabled persons, provision of electrical charging points for electric cars, parking for motorcycles, cycle storage for 32 bicycles including lockers 

Lower ford street 

Coventry has been the centre of the British Motor Industry since the late 1890s. Lower Ford Street itself was once home to Francis-Barnett Motorcycles, founded in 1919. The image in the article is believed to show the factory on the site sometime in the 1920s (looking south west from Lower Ford Street). Many of the models of motorcycle were named after birds, for example the Falcon, Hawk and Kestrel. 

The factory has long since been demolished and during the 1980s and 90s, the site was home to a nightclub (which has also now been demolished). The photograph shows a public WC located on the roundabout adjacent to the site relating to the public house on the corner of Raglan Street and Alma Street. There is precedence in the area of rounded edges to buildings in corner plots, which has been referenced in the ‘fluid’ form of the proposed car park.

Key issues

  • Minimise overshadowing of residential flats along Lower Ford Street to the north of the site.
  • Maintain current pedestrian access under the ring road, along Lower Ford Street and unnamed access road.
  • Provide sufficient queuing space within the site (internal or external) to prevent any queuing onto the highway network.
  • Consider view of the car park from the ring road as a ‘landmark’ building.
  • Consider possible integration of renewable energy technologies.
01 FLOW Rapid outflow Curved form reduces perceived mass Simple circular layout Sloping deck slows movement up the building
02 PODIUM AND TOWER Landscaped podium deck Lightwell for natural light Flat slab Orientation not ideal for residential flats
03 DYNAMIC SOLUTION Rapid vertical movement Double height spaces for daylight Flat slab Mass of building still an issue for flats Central ramp spatially inefficient
04 OFFSET DECKS Offset decks giving double height spaces for daylight Landscaped urban realm Central lightwell

The car park is organised over 13 alternating flat deck levels with two half external ramps. The floor to floor height is 3m. Ground level and first floor level decks are the ‘triangle’ shaped floor plate, the second floor level and roof level are of the ‘square’ shape. The floors between alternate between the two. 

13 Floor Levels       

Ground fl:  62 parking bays

Typical a:   68 parking bays

Typical b:  72 parking bays

 

Total spaces: 920 parking bays

 

Double height carparking spaces due to offset decks reduces the overall perceived mass of the building. Increases natural daylighting internally  and a reduction in overshadowing of the neighbouring buildings. A more delicate form

  • Client

    Coventry University

  • Location

    Coventry

  • Budget

    Private

  • Design Team

    CDC Studio
    CPW
    Nolan & Assoc
    Gardiner Theobald
    Turnbury
    Fairhurst
    Sharps Redmore

  • Team

    Robin Dryer
    Delphine Dryer
    Sam Greaves

  • Images

    CDC Studio