Bath Chronicle

Firm’s bosses honoured at Palace for environmental practice

Bath architects Feilden Clegg Bradley are continuing to be showered by accolades during their 25th year in business.
The company, based in Toll Bridge Road, has already picked up the Building Awards’ practice of the year award, the Civic Trust’s sustainability award the and the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development this year.
And tonight, the firm’s bosses will enjoy a reception at Buckingham Palace as the winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2003.
The honour is a far cry from the Batheaston-based company’s early days. In 1978, it was a two-man operation run by Richard Feilden and Peter Clegg, who worked out of a small studio in London Road.
Now the firm has opened a London office, employs 100 people and has worked on projects around the world.
The company moved to its present offices at Bath Brewery in 1990 after it had renovated the building, which was previously used as a furniture depository for Jollys. The conversion won the company a Civic Trust Award in 1992.
Mr Feilden, now one of the senior partners, said: “We were one of the first practices to recognise the importance of environmental issues and during 25 years in practice we have continued to research and develop our thinking.
“Those involved with buildings have a huge responsibility in achieving the triple line’ – social, environmental and economic.
“We have always believed that environmentally appropriate buildings will tend to create places that users instinctively enjoy and this has been borne out by research that we have undertaken into occupants’ attitudes.
The Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development was established to recognise continuous achievement in sustainable development which simultaneously enhances the environment, society and the economy.
The event in London tonight will also be attended by Tony Blair and the Minister for State and Industry, Jacqui Smith.
Mrs Smith said: “This accolade is not given lightly – businesses have to demonstrate sustained excellence in overseas trade, innovation or sustainability.
“These winning projects set a fantastic example to others.”
Among the firm’s recent projects have been plans for the National Trust’s new central office in Swindon and earlier this year the company heard that its plans for Bath Cricket Club’s new clubhouse and cricket school had been approved by Bath and North East Somerset Council.
One of the awards the firm has received is for a new campus built at the University of Gloucestershire.
And the biggest housing scheme in Cambridge – for 385 new homes in the city – has also been designed by the company.
Six architects from the practice have also been involved in the design of a new medical centre in Malawi, where the costs were met by the firm’s charitable budget.
Peter Clegg, senior partner, Tim Hall, an architect in the London office and Maudie Miller, finance assistant, will be presented with an engraved glass bowl and the winner’s scroll for the Enterprise award on October 13 in the Bath Office.

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