Restoration and refurbishment works completed for Oriel College, Oxford

ANG Artelia Group has recently completed a wide-ranging set of conservation and improvement works for Oriel College’s Brewhouse site. The team upgraded student and fellow (lecturers) rooms within the Grade 1 Listed 17th century College building, along with alterations to catering kitchens, basement and external roofing, leadwork and masonry repairs.

Works were undertaken in phases to minimise disruption and were co-ordinated around what the College terms ‘staircases’ – accommodation grouped around stairwells.

Work began in June 2019, with phase 1 (Staircase 5) handed over just before Christmas, ready for students and fellows to move in in January 2020. The second phase, Staircase 8, was due to hand over this July, but when Covid struck in March, all work was halted.

After determining new Covid-safe ways of working within the confined historic building, including erecting marquees in the grounds for contractors, the ANG team were back at the front line in May.

In a last minute contract addition, the College requested the fit out five self-contained commercial kitchens before students returned, to control the spread of Covid.

With a huge collaborative effort from everyone concerned, Staircase 8 and the kitchen works were completed. The team then went on to finish a Basement fit-out – a complex undertaking with excavations and tanking to repurpose this formerly unusable, restricted height space. The vaulted ceiling area will form a wine cellar with a designated wine hoist.

The strong working relationship the ANG Site Team formed with College Master of Works and Clerk of Works was integral to the successful delivery of this challenging project. As was ANG’s excellent supply chain.

“Many thanks to you and all of your team for delivering this in the face of the lockdowns and other difficulties. It was particularly good that we got the students in by the start of term.”

Mr Wilf Stephenson, Treasurer & Bursar, Oriel College