Chris Harding

Chris has been responsible for a wide spectrum of urban design and building projects. His work has received the highest critical acclaim within the sectors he practises, the architectural profession and most importantly, from the users themselves. As leader of a socially progressive design-led studio, he is responsible for stimulating design quality and thinking across education, housing, culture, leisure, health, transport and sport, including urban design, masterplans and the design of individual buildings.

The Living and Learning Studio designed the RIBA Award-winning Hampden Gurney Primary School in Westminster, shortlisted for the Stirling Prize and now hailed as an exemplar in the field of educational design. (Featured in Architecture Today May 2002). From this experience, BDP were invited to participate in the DfES Building Schools for the Future programme. Our design for the “Beehive” Exemplar School created a vertical solution for confined urban sites – the first prototype, Devonshire School in Blackpool, is now complete.

Higher Education

As long ago as 1992, Chris worked on the masterplan for the new St Peter’s Riverside Campus for the University of Sunderland, also winning in competition the commission to design the three faculty buildings. The campus and its new faculty buildings have achieved the highest number of architectural and design awards, including RIBA Awards, Civic Trust Awards and the RFAC Building of the Year Award. (Featured in Architecture Today in November 1994 and the Architects’ Journal in March 1997).

His work for the University of Cambridge includes the Faculty of Education, which won the David Urwin Award in 2006 for most sustainable new building in the city. (Featured in Architecture Today in October 2005). The Nanoscience Centre, (featured in Building Magazine in October 2003) along with the recent commission to design the world-famous Cavendish led ‘Physics of Medicine’ research centre, the buildings which complete the eastern quarter of the West Cambridge masterplan.

Under Chris, BDP were invited to develop the masterplan for the Docklands Camps at the University of East London and this work has culminated with the completion of the Business School and Learning Resource Centre, which creates open, flexible learning environments designed to support student-centred learning. The Keyworth Centre at London South Bank University (featured in the Architects’ Journal March 2004) creates a vertical ‘environmental vestibule’ on a restricted urban site as a model of sustainable design. We have won through competition the commission to design the International Film School for Wales for the University of Wales, which is the first phase of the BDP masterplan for the city centre waterfront campus.

He recently won in competition the Masterplan for Birmingham City University, a project at the heart of Birmingham’s biggest regeneration project, which will accommodate up to 10,000 students. The focus is on creative and performing arts, technology, design, construction and media. The city centre site is the ideal location to build connections between learners, businesses and the public, inspiring teaching, learning, research and knowledge transfer in the heart of the city.

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