Queens College shortlisted for RIBA architecture awards

One of Beard’s most challenging construction projects, building a new self-service restaurant area for students and a stunning formal dining room and kitchens in the iconic 16th century Queen’s College in Oxford, has been shortlisted for a prestigious RIBA architecture award.  

Described by home bursar Dr Linda Irving-Bell as, “the most complicated thing that has been done in Oxford in a generation,” the £6 million construction project involved digging deep underneath the main buildings and the quad. 

Architects Berman Guedes Stretton design had to create enough space for kitchens, dining areas and a formal dining room in a very limited space in the existing  baroque Grade 1 buildings.  Their elegant solution, which Beard executed with great care and skill, was for the state of the art kitchens to be below the historic quad and dining areas to be above, integrated between existing college buildings.  This involved the Beard team having to underpin the structure, while taking great care to protect the existing building.

Dr Irving-Bell said: “It was extremely reassuring to have a local company undertaking this demanding and complex project. Beard understands the difficulties of working in an Oxford College and the special problems this has, especially when the work took place in the very heart of the College whilst it was also fully operational in its academic activities. Their understanding and co-operation has been second to none.”

The RIBA Awards have been running since 1966 and are given for buildings that have made a substantial contribution to the local environment.