Birmingham developer GNM Traits desires to construct a 21-storey tower, simply 8 metres vast, fully clad in sun panels.
The Narrowhouse, because the construction is being known as, would have 249 co-living residences with intensive communal facilities.
Designed through Broadway Malyan, it’s being pitched as the sector’s tallest multi-storey energy-positive construction.
Plans display greater than 4,000 sqm of establishing built-in photovoltaics (BIPV) at the construction facades, growing the possible to seize extra calories than the citizens may want and thus feed extra calories again into a neighborhood microgrid to offer energy for EV charging of automobiles within the neighbourhood and for narrowboats at the canal.
GNM’s scheme contains 3 parts: the retained Toll Space; a six-storey podium known as The Environment; and the 21-storey tower clad in BIPV.
The environmental efficiency of the construction is enhanced through its superslim profile; at simply 8.5 metres vast it’ll, when finished, even be one of the most UK’s maximum slim residential structures, atmosphere a brand new benchmark for prime density, environment friendly city residing. The Narrowhouse’s profile helps its calories fantastic credentials through maximising the potential of solar power era, optimising passive air flow and gearing and enabling a lot more environment friendly calories distribution, the developer says.

Broadway Malyan major Hugo Fitzgerald mentioned: “We’re vastly excited to post those proposals. The Narrowhouse is a pioneering proposal which we are hoping will set a brand new benchmark, each relating to energy-positive and tremendous narrow construction design.
“The proposals floor the advance in its historical past, taking design activates from wharf construction typology and growing a stupendous colourful frontage alongside an underused a part of town’s intensive canal community. Reusing stacked brick from the unique construction to shape the rostrum makes the construction relatable and with the retention of the Toll Space, echoes the previous.
“The 21-storey tower is fully clad in an animated BIPV façade, signalling Birmingham’s ambition to transport ahead with the usage of long run tendencies that might doubtlessly be offering fantastic calories to feed again into town, supporting town’s internet 0 ambitions, while additionally offering an exhilarating new position for Birmingham’s inhabitants to are living.”
Gerald Manton, managing director of GNM Traits, mentioned: “The Narrowhouse is greater than a construction, it is a remark about the way forward for sustainable city residing. This can be a once-in-a-generation alternative to put Birmingham as an international chief in sustainable construction. With the United Kingdom running against net-zero objectives and insist for inexpensive housing expanding, Birmingham is completely situated to guide this variation.”
If making plans consent is granted, paintings on The Narrowhouse may just start in autumn 2026 with finishing touch someday in 2028.
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