The brief

33 Parkside is a purpose-built student accommodation block managed by Prestige Student Living. The 12-storey building is on a prime site near to Coventry University. It offers space for 262 students in the form of 185 single bed studios, 31 ‘twodio’ apartments and 15 single bed mezzanine studios. Aliva were appointed to respond to the architect’s original design for the building and find an appropriate lightweight solution for its brick façade. The brief required a brick slip which could adapt to the approved design and be installed safely in a high-rise environment.

What we did

Aliva’s team of consultants looked at the original set of drawings and plans to replicate the brief. They detailed differentiated depths of piers and exposed columns on the building. A suitable material was then sourced to meet the requirements of the original design spec. The team delivered an A2 rated External Wall Installation (EWI) system which ensures suitability for buildings over 18m. The designated system matched the brick type, texture, and light beige grey colour of brick, significantly reducing the weight of the final render and creating a safe, watertight and high-quality finish.

What makes it special

The original brick clad building design included a number of larger elevations where windows would typically be placed. In these areas of mass brickwork, Aliva offered a solution to elevate the appearance by including a relief detail of long linear 320x40mm thin slips. This was delivered at no extra cost to the client.