Major Win For Welsh School of Architecture Refurbishment

BDP has been awarded the contract to design a significant refurbishment project for the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff. 

The project was procured by Cardiff University from a shortlist of local architecture practices and marks an important milestone for our presence in south Wales.

The Welsh School of Architecture currently occupies part of the Grade II listed Bute Building on Cathays Park in Cardiff but plans to expand to occupy the majority of the building later this year. The school will be celebrating its centenary in 2020 and the successful refurbishment of the Bute Building will help support its future growth.

BDP announced its commitment to invest in a long-term future in south Wales with the appointment of Nick Durham in May to lead development of the practice in the region.

A graduate of the Welsh School of Architecture and recent design unit leader on the Masters of Architecture degree course, Nick said: “This is a fantastic win for BDP in south Wales and we are excited to begin our journey with the Welsh School of Architecture and Cardiff University. The opportunity to design a school of architecture doesn’t come along very often and to be able to do this in a building and with a client that we know so well makes this project even more special…

BDP is committed to supporting architectural education in the UK having recently joined a group of leading practices and universities to support a range of new architectural apprenticeships, improving diversity in architecture and accessibility to the profession. We hope the project we are about to undertake with the Welsh School of Architecture will inspire a new generation of architects and help strengthen the links between academia and practice."

The project will be delivered in collaboration with Capita (project management), Gleeds (cost management), Aecom (structural and civil engineering) and CPWP (environmental engineering).