Tall & Urban News

A planning application has been submitted to the Birmingham City Council for the redevelopment of 52 Gas Street, a derelict canalside site within the city’s Western Gateway Growth Zone.

GNM Developments, a Birmingham-based company, proposes constructing a 21-story building measuring a mere 8.5 meters wide and entirely covered in solar panels. The building, called The Narrowhouse, is designed by Broadway Malyan and aims to become a multi-story, energy-positive development.

The project is made of three key parts: the preserved Toll House on the site; a six-story podium known as "The Setting"; and the narrow 21-story high-rise clad in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). The building’s narrow profile enhances energy efficiency by maximizing solar energy capture, improving passive ventilation, and optimizing energy distribution. The high-rise would bring 249 co-living apartments with shared amenities. More than 4,000 square meters of BIPV allocated on the facades are expected to generate more energy than the residents require, allowing surplus power to be fed into a local microgrid. This energy would also support electric vehicle charging and power supply for canal narrowboats.

The development takes inspiration from the area's historical architecture, with the podium utilizing stacked bricks from the original site, and the retention of the Toll House further integrates the project into its surroundings.

If approved, construction could start by the end of 2026, with completion expected in 2028.

Learn more at The Construction Index