We will now proceed to the second section: Engineering & Consulting. This time, our specialist speaker, Kim Quazi, Lead Architect, Director of ARUP, will present the following case study for this specific sector:

HS2 INTERCHANGE RAILWAY STATION, BIRMINGHAM

The following presentation redefines the contemporary railway station as a human-centric hub of urban life, transitioning from purely functional transport infrastructure toward experiential engagement and social surplus value. A critical evolution in this field is the shift from treating the user as an abstract “passenger” to understanding them as a “customer” and an individual, whose vulnerabilities, behaviors, and emotions dictate design decisions—ranging from spatial clarity and accessibility to atmosphere and wayfinding.

The HS2 Interchange Station project was realized through a tightly integrated, multidisciplinary design team and advanced digital workflows, achieving the world’s first BREEAM Outstanding rating for a railway station. Arup and its partners interconnected architecture, structural engineering, and facade design via a parametric toolchain (Speckle, Rhino, Grasshopper, Revit), enabling the coordinated optimization of passive design strategies—such as solar control, natural ventilation, daylighting, and rainwater harvesting—alongside safety and constructability requirements.

The uniqueness of the project lies in the dissolution of traditional disciplinary silos, unifying the design process into a single data stream that permitted the modeling of the iconic “leaf-shaped” roof. Through the principles of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), this complex roof was decomposed into repeatable, modular components, thereby accelerating construction and enhancing safety and cost-efficiency. Sustainability served as the central pillar of decision-making, with the utilization of glulam timber sequestering 400 tonnes of carbon compared to steel, supporting the ambition for a net-zero footprint. Ultimately, the success of such stations is no longer appraised solely by throughput or safety metrics, but by their capacity to foster social and economic regeneration, minimize long-term carbon impact through longevity, and evolve into cherished public spaces rather than disposable infrastructure.