Berman Guedes Stretton Architects, Design Studio England, English Architect Office, BGS News

Berman Guedes Stretton

BGS Architects: Contemporary British Architecture Practice, London: UK Design Office

post updated 10 Apr 2021

Berman Guedes Stretton News

Berman Guedes Stretton Architects News – latest additions to this page, arranged chronologically:

30 May 2017
The Oculus, University of Warwick, England, UK

photograph from architects
The Oculus at the University of Warwick by BGS Architects
Berman Guedes Stretton has created a new visual focal point for the University of Warwick. A new state-of-the-art teaching centre named The Oculus features an impressive 18m tall glazed frontage to University Road beneath a striking curved laminated timber roof. The Oculus is the latest addition to the Russel Group university’s main campus and is the first new building in a new phase of development.

21 Mar 2017
New House in Oxfordshire Shortlisted for RIBA South Awards 2017

One of fifteen buildings shortlisted for RIBA South 2017 Awards:

Private house by Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP with Berman Guedes Stretton and Roger Stretton

photograph © Nick Hufton

RIBA South Award for New Oxfordshire House by BGS Architects

5 Feb 2016
Refurbishment at Oxford Brookes University, England, UK
Design: Berman Guedes Stretton, Architects

image from architects
Oxford Brookes University Building by BGS
Planning gained for the refurbishment of the Sinclair Building, Clerici Building, Former Library and Main Hall at the Headington Campus of Oxford Brookes University. The project is the first phase of the Universities Estates Strategy for the campus.

7 Jan 2016
Warwick Business School in the Shard, London, England, UK

image from architects
Warwick Business School in the Shard
BGS have designed a bold and sophisticated London showcase for the University of Warwick’s new business school. Branded WBS London, the new London campus is located on the 17th floor of The Shard.

30 Jun 2012
The Shulman Auditorium, Oxford, England
Berman Guedes Stretton

photo : Adrian Arbib
The Shulman Auditorium
The context could not be more challenging: with Hawksmoor spires behind it sits in the heart of the college facing the dons’ Senior Common Room. Yet the Shulman Auditorium is remarkable for its skilful combination of traditional materials with an uncompromisingly modern design and it became a much-loved part of the college from the moment it opened.

26 Jun 2012
Brasenose College Buildings, Oxford University, England
Berman Guedes Stretton

photo : Andy Spain
Brasenose College Oxford University
Brasenose College’s bursar has highly commended Berman Guedes Stretton’s recently completed work at the college, reinforcing the practice’s reputation for bringing exceptional design skill and imaginative space use to the most challenging historic buildings. Bursar, Phil Parker, said of the project, ‘BGS has done both us and themselves proud, with a clever design that has produced a functional and beautiful building that weaves in with its older neighbours perfectly.’

23 May 2012

Berman Guedes Stretton – Recent Project

New Bridge at Pembroke College, Oxford, England
Berman Guedes Stretton

photo : Quintin Lake

A new foot bridge has been lowered into place over the old streets of Oxford, the first for nearly a century. The last bridge to be added to the city centre was the famous Bridge of Sighs in 1914. The work took place as part of architecture practice Berman Guedes Stretton’s project to substantially expand Pembroke College, Oxford.

A single crane was used to carefully lower the six ton bridge between the old college walls and over the narrow street and medieval City wall – a Scheduled Monument – to connect the two parts of the college. The footbridge now links the old Pembroke College to five new buildings and two quads on the new site.

Sitting five metres above Brewer Street, parts of the bridge are only 150mm thick but have been designed to withstand lorries travelling at 70mph, insisted upon by the County Engineers. English Heritage supported the contemporary design once it was established that the supports (seen on the right) would not load the ancient wall. Berman Guedes Stretton worked with engineers Price and Myers to design a slender, modest and elegant structure in order to minimise its impact on the historic surroundings. To this effect, transparent glass balustrades will be fitted along the sides.

The £17million Pembroke College project is due to be completed in September of this year.

Berman Guedes Stretton has worked on a large number of Oxbridge projects, including the recently completed work on Brasenose College, Queens College and Wolfson College.

Team:
Structural Engineer: Price and Myers
Project Management Assistance: Bidwells
Q.S: Gardiner and Theobold
Contractor: Kingerlee

30 Apr 2012

Latest Major Building by BGS

Grand Hotel Redevelopment, Birmingham, England
Berman Guedes Stretton

image from architects
Grand Hotel Birmingham
After 11 years of dereliction the council and locals feared for the future of this landmark hotel until, in 2010, Hortons’ Estates commissioned Berman Guedes Stretton to design a scheme that would rescue the hotel and restore it to its former glory.
The scheme, strongly supported by English Heritage, has sailed through the planning process. Councillor Barry Henley said, “I must congratulate the architect. This is a wonderful conversion”, whilst Councillor Paula Smith, Chair of the conservation issues committee admitted, “I am the first one to criticise if the architects do not respect our heritage, but on this occasion I am impressed. The detail they have put into this is fabulous’”.

Berman Guedes Stretton – Key Projects

Leicester Engineering Department Building Renovation, Leicester, England

picture from architects
Leicester Engineering Department
Britain’s most iconic building of the mid 20th Century – the University of Leicester’s Department of Engineering.
Head of Department Professor John Fothergill said: “The Engineering Building at the University of Leicester – designed by Architects Stirling and Gowan – is considered one of the most important and iconic buildings of the 20th Century.

University of Leicester Engineering Department Building:

picture : University of Leicester

“Architects travel the world to see it and it has appeared on postage stamps and artworks of the time. It is protected from change by having been listed Grade II*. Yet, from the first day, its technical performance was poor and it has had technical problems associated with its use of new materials and techniques.”

More developments by Berman Guedes Stretton online soon

Location: 9B Ladbroke Grove, London W11 3BD, UK

London Architects and Designers Practice Information

Berman Guedes Stretton

Berman Guedes Stretton was established in 1996 and today has offices in Oxford and London.

The architecture practice has developed a strong reputation for architectural interventions – refurbishments, new build extensions and phased, major additions – to historic and also to modern buildings.

Its expertise and in-depth knowledge of architectural history has led to it becoming particularly well regarded in the higher education sector.

London Architects