Two practices worked together on the Stirling Prize-winning Accordia development
Former Stirling Prize team mates Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Grant Associates have reunited on a mixed-use project on a historic site in Bath.
The pair, which worked together on the Accordia development, named by RIBA as Britain’s best new building in 2008, will design the western half of the former Bath Press site for developer City & Country.
The eastern half of the site will be designed by Bristol-based Alec French Architects, with the three practices together replacing CDA and landscape architect MacGregor Smith on a former scheme on the site which was approved in 2022.
Bath press was built in the 1890s and was the former location of the Pitman Press, owned by publisher Isaac Pitman, who is known for creating the most widely used form of shorthand.
The site was vacated in 2007 and demolished behind a retained facade and chimney in 2018 to make way for development. It was bought by City & Country for £13.8m in March this year with the existing CDA-designed consent for 277 homes.
City & Country has now earmarked the western end of the site for a new development after identifying potential for a “significantly enhanced architectural solution”, appointing FCBS, which was founded in Bath, last month. Alec French was appointed earlier this year and has submitteed amendments to the CDA consent.
An early sketch of the new proposals drawn up by the practice appears to show six blocks of three to five storeys surrounding two central garden areas, with the eastern half of CDA’s consented scheme in the background.
Keith Bradley, co-founder of FCBS,, said the practice would bring “experienced development, sensitivity and design ambition” to the developer’s first project in the city.
“For FCBS, this is our home city and have recently worked on some of Bath’s preeminent historic buildings, including the award-winning Bath Abbey Footprint project, and the adjacent Roman Baths and Pump Room Archway visitor facilities,” he said.
“We are looking forward to creating some much needed, high-quality housing in the city, to follow the successes of our London, Manchester, and Cambridge residential work.
“This includes the RIBA Stirling Prize Accordia Project which we worked on with Bath based Grant Associates Landscape Architects, who join us on the Bath Press collaboration.”
Grant Associates director Keith French said the Bath Press site was “layered in history, offering an important gateway into our home city and an amazing opportunity to bring it back to life”.
Bath Press is located within the Bath world heritage site but not within or adjacent to any conservation areas.
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