Burwell Architects have secured Planning and Scheduled Monument consent for a £20m masterplan for the Marine Biological Association. Set within the environs of Citadel Hill, the plans for the MBA infrastructure improvement programme include a brand new world-class Marine Microbiome Centre which is set to be the first of it’s kind in the UK.

The Master Plan identifies the existing outdated labs within the courtyard area and an opportunity to develop the east end of the site to provide a set of state of the art laboratories that will allow the MBA to continue and expand their research in an era where their work is becoming increasingly relevant.

The MBA’s brief was to create a master plan that would allow the Association to continue and expand their operation at their current location and whilst enhancing their profile with a reinforced international identity reflecting the pioneering research undertaken within the field of Marine Biology. The master plans sets out to create a vision of the future for the MBA at the current location of The Laboratory, Citadel Hill ensuring it’s continued presence within the historic naval city of Plymouth.

The existing site falls within the Plymouth Hoe Conservation Area and is within the environs of the Plymouth Citadel, a Scheduled Monument that meets the site along the northern boundary. 1888 saw the creation of the original high quality South Building built from solid Plymouth limestone walls mimicking the Stazione Zoologica in Naples. However disjointed development over the years has led to poor quality extensions and a disjointed campus spread over many levels. 

A carefully considered massing exercise was undertaken to establish the likely extents of any proposed built form ensuring that views were retained both to and from the Citadel walls thereby maintaining it’s formidable presence and it’s historic significance in defending the city of Plymouth from invasion. Early engagement with both Plymouth City Council and Historic England lead to positive early feedback and allowed Burwell Architects to submit a scheme that had the support of all parties.

In terms of accommodation and the MBA’s long term presence at the site, a series of new facilities are provided including a new three storey plus basement state of the art laboratory block to the east of the site and a new education centre and outreach public face set within the courtyard space in front of and over the seawater hall. This new podium deck provides a direct connection through the site with clear wayfinding both horizontally and vertically with full DDA access linking the different disciplines and encouraging a collaborative progressive environment.

A sensitive palette of materials seeks to compliment the existing fabric of the Citadel and the original South Building whilst not detracting from their significance. Plymouth lime stone is used to create a heavy weight plinth echoing the walls behind, on top of which a heavily trabeated light weight structure of Corten steel sits with deep reveals providing solar shading and views out towards the channel reinforcing the connection between the MBA and the ocean. Whilst the materials are sympathetic to the existing fabric they also define the aspirations of the MBA moving forwards and provide a robust solution in the aggressive marine environment. 

Professor Willie Wilson, Director of The Marine Biological Association said:

"We are excited to receive planning permission for a design that is highly practical, yet sympathetic to its surroundings and importantly, has high sustainability principles. The project will make an enormous difference to improving research facilities at the MBA. The masterplan is part of a wider strategy we have termed, “Pathway to 150 Years of the MBA” which takes inspiration from the Marine Biological Association’s eminent scientific roots and spirit of discovery."

Charles Leadlay, Director at Burwell Architects said:

 “We are thrilled to have obtained these consents on behalf of the MBA following close liaison with Plymouth Council and Historic England, ensuring the associations ongoing presence at the historic site in a facility that reflects their status at the cutting edge of marine biology at a time where the understanding of our ocean and the life within it is more crucial than ever before”

Phase 1 of the master plan, The North Labs, will commence over the summer and is due to complete in early 2022.

About The Marine Biological Association:

The Marine Biological Association (MBA) is one of the world's longest running societies dedicated to promoting research into our ocean and the life it supports. Since 1884 they have provided a unified, clear, independant voice on behalf of the marine biological community and currently have a growing membership in over 40 countries. The MBA run a leadng marine biological research labratory where many eminent scientists - including 7 Nobel prize winners - have carried out their research.
Press Contact: Maya Plass maya.plass@mba.ac.uk 

We are absoultely thrilled to annouce that Elsley House has been shortlisted for the FX International Design Awards 2020! 

We are thrilled to announce that Elsley House is a finalist in this years Property Awards in the wellbeing category! 

We are delighted to annouce that Elsley House has been shortlised for a regional BCO Award 2020!

Huge congratulation to the whole team! 

It is with great pleasure and huge amount of pride, that we can announce that effective of 21st May 2019, Burwell Architects Limited is offically a Carbon Neutral practice!

As part of our on going commitment to Environmental Management, the Practice undertakes annual carbon footprint analysis' to gain a better understanding of how our office management, travel & energy usage effect the wider environment. 

We calculated our annual CO2 emmissions as an office to be 19.5 tonnes, to allow us to offset this amount we worked closely with Carbon Footprint Ltd to produce a proposal that not only allowed us to offset the carbon usage by giving something back to the environment, but also benefitted one of our local schools! We were able to purchase 20 trees and donate them to one our local schools for planting! 

Our trees have been delivered, and are due for planting in Autumn! This will happen now on an annual basis so if you are a local school, hospital or hospice that would benefit from some new trees, please get in contact!

For more information on how you too could become Carbon Neutral please visit www.carbonfootprint.com

Current Vacancies

Senior Architect
We are currently seeking a confident and motivated Architect, to join our design-led, forward thinking studio on a range of exciting higher education projects.

 We require a Qualified Part 3 Architect with 5 years post Part 2 project running experience.

 Experience with leading a team, client liaison and a strong knowledge of Vectorworks and/or Revit is essential. Knowledge of SketchUp, BIM and InDesign is desirable, as are freehand drawing skills.

 Please email your CV, covering letter and portfolio (maximum 5MB) in PDF format to recruitment@burwellarchitects.com.

Part I / Part II Architectural Assistants

Calling all new Part 1 and newly qualified Part 2 Architectural Assistants, we are currently seeking 2 new motivated and confident Architectural Assistants to join our growing team.

Please email your CV, covering letter and portfolio (maximum 5MB) in PDF format to recruitment@burwellarchitects.com.

Burwell Architects is an equal opportunities employer.

Burwell Architects

Unit 0.01

California Building

Deals Gateway

London

SE13 7SB

02083056010

www.burwellarchitects.com

Particulars:  

Contract Type Negotiable

Hours 9am – 6pm

Salary Negotiable

Location London, SE13

The Lower Refectory has been shortlised for an Architect's Journal Retrofit Award 2018! 

Winners to be annouced on the 12th September 2018. 

Burwell Architects have obtained planning and listed building consent from the London Borough of Camden for the modernisation of the University of London’s Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at Lasdun’s Institute of Education & Law.

The proposals involve sensitive updates to the Grade II* Charles Clore House, designed by the late Sir Deny Lasdun. Located on Russell Square, the scheme proposes a comprehensive refurbishment of the library facilities whilst also improving current accessibility, security and environmental performance of this iconic brutalist building.

Modernisation of the building has been carefully considered within the framework created by the existing building’s striking form. Accumulated fixtures and fittings will be removed to showcase the original exposed concrete finishes while the reorgaisation of the work and academic research spaces will assist the Institute in raising its profile as a world class facility.

A new external accessible lift is proposed adjacent to the main entrance. This has been designed to reference the existing building, replicating the palette of materials whilst providing increased street presence for the institute.

Prepared alongside Alan Baxter Associates and Indigo Planning following close consultation with Historic England, the project is currently out to tender with works due to start on site this summer.

“The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, part of the School of Advanced Study of the University of London,  is a postgraduate research institute with an international reputation as a national centre of excellence and houses one of the finest legal research libraries in the world. The Institute was established in Bloomsbury in 1947 as a national and international centre for the promotion of advanced legal studies and moved to its purpose-built home in 1976. The Institute is delighted by the opportunity to restore its iconic home for legal research to the state of the art facility for which it was designed” – Jules Winterton, Director of Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. 

We are currently seeking confident and motivated Architects, to join our design-led, forward thinking studio on a range of exciting projects. Current projects include a refurbishments within iconic listed buildings, a new medical school master plan and large residential developments. 

We require ARB Senior Architect's with 5 years post Part III project running experience.

Experience with Vectorworks and/or Revit is essential. Knowledge of SketchUp, BIM and InDesign is desirable, as are freehand drawing skills.

Please email your CV, covering letter and portfolio (maximum 5MB) in PDF format to recruitment@burwellarchitects.com.

Burwell Architects is an equal opportunities employer.

Particulars

Contract Type Negotiable 

Hours 9am – 6pm

Salary Negotiable

Location London, SE13

Join Burwell Architects, UCL Estates and BDP for the second in the series of Transforming UCL's ‘The Making Of....’ lectures.

We are delighted to be hosting 'The Making of The Lower Refectory' and invite our colleagues, clients and consultants to join us for technicial talk and a walk around our recently completed project. Tickets are free and available at:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-making-of-the-lower-refectory-tickets-42639764684

We are delighted annouce Deptford: An Architectural Tour in it's third year! Join Nicholas Burwell and architectural historian and local resident Tom Ravenscroft for a walking tour of Deptford, where we will explore the historical highlights, modern masterpieces and hidden contemporary gems of this lively neighborhood. 

This tour is running as part of Deptford X, London’s longest-running contemporary art festival – its core programme is a platform for emerging contemporary artists, with a strong foundation of support from art-world professionals. Deptford X Festival takes place in multiple locations across Deptford over 10 days from Friday 23rd September to Sunday 2nd October 2016. It is a unique opportunity to see new commissions in diverse spaces all within walking distance of each other. For further information on Deptford X, click here to visit their website. 

Click here to secure your ticket now. 

Burwell Architects have completed the refurbishment of two office floors at Elsley House, a former 'rag trade' building in London’s West End for Great Portland Estates, occupied by the marketing, media and creative industries. 

A deliberately nostalgic approach was taken from the outset, with new finishes chosen to recall the building’s Art Deco past.  Patterned terrazzo flooring, laser-cut metal panels and bespoke moulded architraves provide a layer of contemporary decoration in the common parts, whilst a more utilitarian pallet of brick, glazed ceramics and exposed iron columns add interest to the general office areas.  The original fine metal windows have been painstakingly restored, with micro double glazed units greatly improving their thermal performance.  New wall and floor openings provide much needed light into the deepest parts of the plan, whilst a new central void provides a dramatic physical connection to the lower ground floor. Energy efficient air conditioning is provided via floor-by-floor heat recovery AHUs and localised VRF units.  Underutilised pavement vaults and a former oil tank room have also been reclaimed as part of the works, expanding the existing toilet, locker and shower facilities without compromising lettable floor area.  

The next stage of the project involves the refurbishment of a rear reception and lift lobby, a redesigned courtyard and the provision of basement cycle storage. 

We are very pleased to annouce that 19 Queen Elizabeth Street has been Shortlisted for The Brick Awards 2017! 

Burwell Architects have been appointed by the University of Westminster to undertake the refurbishment of a number of teaching spaces.

Split over two sites on the University’s Harrow and Marylebone Campus’, the project involves the refurbishment of a number of Lecture Theatres, classrooms, circulation spaces and some WCs. The brief evolved fluidly, with information being received from the university’s lecturers and project managers. The scope initially included a small number of spaces only, and was widened to include more spaces during the initial design stages. The project, currently at RIBA Stage 5, will be split between two contractors, for the two different sites and is due for completion in September 2017.  

As part of the Transforming UCL £1.2 billion building and refurbishment programme, Burwell Architects were appointed to undertake the refurbishment of a number of rooms within the basement level of the Anatomy and Medical Sciences building to create a world-class high-throughput cell imaging and screening laboratory. This comprises 2 areas, a MRC screening platform and an imaging facility for both confocal and electron microscopes

Currently on site, the first phase of the project is due for completion later this month with the second phase following shortly after in July. 

This week we were at the LSE with Grafton Architects checking out a prototype of our Connect Seating. It is being trialled with a view to rolling Connect out across some of the new lecture theatres within the Marshall Building, due to open in 2021. 

Burwell Architects are acting as Teaching & Learning Space Designer as part of Grafton Architects RIBA Competition winning design team for the LSE Marshall Building. 

Burwell Architects have now completed the refurbishment of the Mechanical Engineering lecture theatre at the University of Leeds. This is one of three theatres being refurbished as part of a wide-ranging review of existing learning & teaching spaces. The designs include bespoke iterations of Burwell Architects' award-winning Connect Seating, previously used at Queen University Belfast and Loughborough Design School. Burwell Architects’ modular seating system is considering today’s changing teaching method and encourages collaborative working within a single teaching session.

Burwell Architect's have completed the fitting out of new offices for documentary film making company Lonelyleap.

Located at the ground floor of a new build residential block, adjacent to the practice's own studio, the team worked closely with the client to deliver a bespoke fit-out for less than £650 per sq.m.

An open plan workspace, with bespoke steel and plywood desks, is supported by meeting rooms, editing suites and a central kitchen that forms the social heart of the company.

A restrained industrial aesthetic, with sections of raw concrete left exposed, allowed the client the freedom to personalise the space with their own eclectic collection of loose furniture. 

Following on from the succes of last years tour, we are delighted annouce Deptford: An Architectural Tour in it's second year! Join our very own Nicholas Burwell and architectural historian and local resident Tom Ravenscroft for a walking tour of Deptford, where we will explore the historical highlights, modern masterpieces and hidden contemporary gems of this lively neighborhood. 

Although often overshadowed by the grandeur of Wren’s neighbouring Greenwich, Deptford itself is not lacking in architectural significance. Buildings designed by a Stirling Prize winner, RIBA Gold Medalist, international starchitects and some of the UK’s best emerging talent can be found within this rapidly changing Thames-side community.

This tour is running as part of Deptford X, London’s longest-running contemporary art festival – its core programme is a platform for emerging contemporary artists, with a strong foundation of support from art-world professionals. Deptford X Festival takes place in multiple locations across Deptford over 10 days from Friday 23rd September to Sunday 2nd October 2016. It is a unique opportunity to see new commissions in diverse spaces all within walking distance of each other. For further information on Deptford X, click here to visit their website. 

Click here to secure your ticket now. 

Although often overshadowed by the grandeur of Wren’s neighbouring Greenwich, Deptford itself is not lacking in architectural significance. Buildings designed by a Stirling Prize winner, RIBA Gold Medalist, international starchitects and some of the UK’s best emerging talent can be found within this rapidly changing Thames-side community. Join Deptford-based award-winning architect Nicholas Burwell and architectural historian and local resident Tom Ravenscroft for a walking tour of Deptford, where we will explore the historical highlights, modern masterpieces and hidden contemporary gems of this lively neighbourhood.

Deptford X Architectural Walking Tour of Deptford, Thursday 1st October 2015 at 6pm, meet at Burwell Architects. Places on this tour are limited - to book please send an email to info@burwellarchitects.com with your full name.

The David Keir Student Hub and Auditorium at Queen's University Belfast has been shortlisted for an RIBA Northern Ireland Award 2015.

Winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Bristol earlier this month. John Pardey, Jury Chairman, said, “These are learning spaces at their best, allowing formal, quiet learning alongside social, group activities and no corner is left without oering space to be occupied”.

Further to winning the Camden Business Award for Best Small Development Scheme, we are very pleased to announce the Oculus and Octagon Gallery at UCL has been Highly Commended in the Camden Design Awards for The Heritage Award.

We are very pleased to announce the Oculus and Octagon Gallery at UCL has won the Camden Business Award for Best Small Development Scheme.

Almost 150 business representatives attended the first Camden Business Awards, which took place at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel on 21 November, to celebrate the contribution of local businesses to the borough.

The project involved reopening an oculus at the heart of UCL’s Grade I Listed Wilkins Building whilst retaining a statue in its original position at the centre of the Flaxman Gallery. A structural glass plinth was inserted over the oculus and the ground floor Octagon’s ‘non-space’ below has been transformed into a museum gallery, showcasing the university’s collections to the students, staff and the public.