Stay in the Know

Four RIBA Awards 2021!

The amazing Story of Gardening at The Newt in Somerset has won four RIBA Awards! It was a truly unique project to work on and an absolute pleasure bringing this architectural delight to life - incredibly worthy of these awards.

Strengthening our leadership team with new Bristol Director

We've bolstered our leadership team with the appointment of Matt Cooper, to lead the our operations in the Bristol area. Matt’s appointment follows a period of strong performance, which has delivered several high-profile projects in Bristol.

Green Unit opens new factory in boost to production and jobs

An Oxfordshire business which designs and builds ultra-low carbon modular buildings, Green Unit has opened a new factory - boosting production and creating new jobs in the area. Mark Beard, our Chairman, formally opened the factory in a ceremony today.

RIBA South East Awards 2021 winner: Linden Farm Supported Living copy

Fantastic news! Linden Farm Supported Living in Surrey has won a RIBA South East 2021 Award plus South East Project Architect of the Year for Haverstock Architects. A truly radical development providing homes for a group of young autistic people.

Work completes on £20m redevelopment at St Hilda’s College, Oxford

We've recently completed on one of our biggest projects in history, with a major redevelopment at St Hilda’s College, in the University of Oxford.

Work starts on £10m St John’s College historic library refurbishment

We're set to start work on the third and final phase of a major refurbishment of an historic library, within the grounds of one of the UK’s most important architectural sites.

Work on the Quadrangle completes

We've completed redevelopment work on the landmark Quadrangle building in Cheltenham, which includes the town’s first ever rooftop restaurant.

Another RoSPA Gold Award!

8 consecutive RoSPA Health & Safety Gold Awards! We're celebrating after landing the internationally-recognised award for demonstrating high health and safety standards.

Beard start work on national specialist primary school for deaf children

After a three and a half year fundraising campaign and years of planning, Beard have started building work on the new Mary Hare Primary School which will be based on the same site as the Secondary School in Newbury, Berkshire.

Unseen Roman baths set to be unveiled

The Bath Archway Project will bring the Roman baths to life with projections and sounds showing what the Roman spa experience was like.

Historic Gaumont cinema converted into student accommodation

Bristol-based construction firm Beard has completed a stunning six-storey student accommodation block in the city, at the former Gaumont Cinema site. The historic building on Baldwin Street has been redeveloped to create 92 studio apartments, with a large retail space on the ground floor.

Shining a light on Bristol's landmark RWA building

We're about to start restoration work on one of the city’s finest public buildings, transforming the experience and access for visitors. The RWA (Royal West of England Academy) has chosen Beard for its £3.8m Light and Inspiration project, with work due to start imminently on the Grade II* listed site.

CEO Today UK Awards 2021 Winner!

Congratulations to our Chairman Mark Beard who has been recognised in CEO Today! The aim of their UK Awards 2021 is to identify the most successful, innovative and forward-thinking CEOs in the UK today across a number of sectors.

Beard begin restoration work of UK’s oldest lido

The Cleveland Pools Trust is delighted to announce the start of works to restore the historic pools in Bath, following a 17-year community campaign to save the Grade II* listed site. Bristol-based Beard is leading the work on the restoration of Cleveland Pools, the oldest surviving outdoor public swimming pool in the UK, which was built in 1815 and is now regarded as a nationally significant site.

Two new buildings at Oxford's Wadham College inaugurated this month

Two new buildings, the William Doo Undergraduate Centre and the Dr Lee Shau Kee Building, built by Oxford builders Beard at the centre of Wadham College’s historic Oxford site will be inaugurated this month.

Beard bags a brace for Bristol Sport with new training facility

Bristol construction firm Beard has completed a state-of the-art training facility for Bristol City Football Club – its second high profile development for Bristol Sport in less than a year. The family-run building company has delivered the Robins High Performance Centre, which follows the completion of rugby club Bristol Bears’ facility last year, also for Bristol Sport.

Beard reveals robust full-year results despite national crisis

Family-run construction firm Beard has published its full-year accounts for year ending 31 December 2020, revealing a resilient performance for the business. The results reflect the strong foundation and financial controls within the company that have enabled Beard to face the many challenges presented to the industry across 2020

Our thoughts on the Budget Announcements

Yesterday (Wednesday 3 March) Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the contents of his Budget in the House of Commons. Setting out the government's tax and spending plans for the year ahead, he announced new measures to help business and jobs through the pandemic and to support the UK's long-term economic recovery and a series of tax-raising plans to help rebalance the public finances. Here's our thoughts on the announcements and what it means for the sector...

Beard’s Ollie Chun joins the board of education charity SATRO

A construction professional from one of the region’s leading family-run firms, has been appointed to the board of innovative education charity SATRO. Ollie Chun, the pre-construction manager at Beard in Guildford, has joined the Surrey-based charity’s board, bringing his experience and construction sector perspective to its activities.

Alan Beard announces retirement after 70 years

One of the most well-known figures in the construction business in the south west, has retired from the family firm where he worked for 70 years.

Beard wins Signature contract for two care homes worth £25million

Beard has increased its presence in the care home construction sector, after being awarded contracts worth a combined £25million with Signature Senior Lifestyle, to build two of its new developments in the south east.

Beard develops strategic partnership with Green Unit Limited

Beard have today announced a new, long-term strategic partnership with eco-build experts Green Unit Limited. The move is part of Beard’s desire to be more sustainable and longer term, to more actively drive sustainable alternatives in the industry.

Taking responsibility for our own and our team’s wellbeing

I always admire people who grasp difficult issues head on and it was absolutely typical of my CIOB predecessor Professor Charles Egbu, that he should choose mental health as the main theme for his presidential year; bringing to our attention, what we can all do to minimise the causes of mental health problems and deal with the issues when they occur.

City's new training ground flying along

Bristol City’s new training ground construction is flying along and we can bring you an exclusive look at the dramatic progress made.

Beard named in Sunday Times list of UK’s best performing businesses

Beard has been named among the top performing businesses in the UK in a prestigious league table published by the Sunday Times newspaper.

Beard completes new school library despite coronavirus restrictions

Beard celebrates landmark topping out of Cheltenham’s first rooftop restaurant

Family-run construction firm Beard has marked the topping out of the refurbished Quadrangle building in the historic centre of Cheltenham.

Faster payments demonstrate Beard’s supply-chain commitment

Construction firm Beard has released new figures showing that it has delivered an improved payment performance in the first half of 2020.

Mark Beard, chairman of Beard Construction, has become the 117th President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

Mark Beard FCIOB, chairman of Beard Construction, has become the 117th President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). His presidency starts as CIOB members and the wider construction industry are facing some of the greatest challenges in the Institute’s 186-year history.

Pay your suppliers fairly or face disaster

As an industry, safety should always be our number one priority. The unique circumstances in which we currently find ourselves put a new and unwelcome twist on that, but we can and must work within those limits to keep building and delivering the projects that are so vital to keeping the economy moving.

Construction of Cultural Heritage Institute at Carriage Works continues during pandemic

The conversion of Swindon’s former GWR Carriage Works to create premises for the Royal Agricultural University’s Cultural Heritage Institute is continuing apace through the pandemic.

Beard earns BSI accreditation hat-trick

Family-owned construction firm Beard has earned British Standards Institution (BSI) accreditation on three key measures of industry best practice. Achieving these standards is an important part of Beard’s strategy, ensuring it has strong systems in place to support sustainable growth.

Beard runs 90% of sites to break ‘vicious circle’ of closures

Family-owned construction firm Beard, whose work include medical research facilities, special needs schools and MOD work, is continuing to operate on more than 90 per cent of its sites, despite the wave of closures that the industry has seen in response to the spread of Covid-19.

Thank you to our supply chain

Today our chair Mark Beard addresses our subcontractors and suppliers who are working hard with us to keep our sites operational during this unprecedented time.

Beard reports strong 2019 performance

Family-owned construction firm Beard has reported a strong financial performance in 2019, continuing the sustainable growth the firm has delivered in recent years.

COVID-19 - how we're responding

COVID-19 - advice for our supply chain partners

We've been contacted by a number of you asking for advice on COVID-19. Here you'll find our latest guidance and links to official sources of information.

Government new points based on immigration system good news for tradesman and potentially for wider UK construction industry

Beard announced as Earth Lab and Innovation Hub contractor

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve appointed by the Earth Trust for phase one of their Gateway Programme.

City Break Ground on New Training Facility

Bristol City today (Thursday, January 30th) broke ground on their state-of-the-art training facility.

The Future of professional institutions

Mark Beard's view on the future of professional institutions in the construction industry.

Industry needs to work together on offsite design

We seem to inhabit an increasingly polarised country, but I have an old-fashioned view that we all achieve more when we put our differences to one side and work together. I was disappointed then, to read the recent piece in Housing Today entitled ‘Architects hit out at offsite drive’ – the contents of which more than lived up to the headline.

Year 4 pupils from St Michael's Primary enjoy a site visit

Year 4 pupils tour the site of the project to refurbish their school.

SATRO and Beard partnering to ignite interest in construction

How to spark an interest in Construction and Engineering? That is the challenge for everyone involved in these industries. The well-documented skills shortage is exacerbated by the lack of awareness of the many different career opportunities available. A partnership between Beard and SATRO provides a link between business and schoolchildren.

Peaches Golding, Lord Lieutenant of Bristol opens new toll houses at Clifton Suspension Bridge

The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust is celebrating the successful completion of the new toll houses which were designed by RIBA award winners Purcell architects and built by award-winning local construction company Beard.

Beard start work on the new Roman Baths Learning Centre and World Heritage Centre

Beard are delighted to have started work on the new Roman Baths Learning Centre and World Heritage Centre.

Let’s not wait to be told to up your game on quality

The government may have launched a consultation on its proposed changes to regulations in the wake of the Hackitt review, but contractors shouldn’t sit by and wait to be told to improve quality, argues Mark Beard.

Breaking the Poverty Cycle

Three Beard employees have recently returned from Kenya, the culmination of a 12-month long partnership with two charities on two different continents, the NASIO Trust and Youth Challenge Oxford (YoCO).

Construction progressing well on Oxford city centre Natwest Bank conversion

Our award-winning Oxford construction team is making good progress on a £5 million refurbishment in Oxford city centre that will transform the landmark neo-Gothic NatWest Bank building at 120-122 High Street into luxury apartments and an upmarket restaurant.

Beard results show strong construction performance in 2018

Construction challenge brings STEM learning to life for Brookwood pupils

Pupils from Brookwood Primary School, near Woking, have taken part in a construction event which aims to bring classroom maths, technology and sciences to life

Focus on Quality Assurance Manager

Celebrating the breadth of jobs available in the construction industry we will be publishing a series of articles, each focusing on a different role. Today's focus is on the role of a quality assurance manager

Why it’s time to mandate 30-day payments

After the industry’s latest business failures, public clients should scrutinise the financial health of tier 1 contractors more closely – and mandate 30-day payment terms for suppliers, says Mark Beard.

Beard hands over keys to new £13m Science Oxford Centre

Beard wins place on £1bn Pagabo construction framework

We have secured a place on public sector procurement specialist Pagabo’s £1 billion National Framework for Medium Works. The framework is for all public sector contracting authorities and covers education, health, sports, leisure, prisons and emergency services building projects.

Beard starts works on Corinium Museum’s new Discovery Centre

Quantity surveying student lands top construction placement with Beard in Guildford

Aspiring quantity surveyor Kyne Newman-Knott, 21, has landed a year-long top industry placement with our Guildford office that will provide invaluable professional training for his future career.

Construction placement gives Oxford students a career head start

Two Oxford Brookes University students studying quantity surveying have landed a 12-month construction placement with Beard where they will be putting classroom theory into practice and developing their skills on live building projects.

Construction work to start on replacement toll houses

The Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust has appointed us as the main contractor for the replacement toll houses project.

The Queen's College New Underground Library Video Case Study

A ambitious project to build a new underground library within the historic walled gardens of one of Oxford’s oldest colleges.

OUES Sheldonian Theatre Video Case Study

Nazrin Shah Centre Video Case Study

A case study about the building of the Nazrin Shah Centre at Worcester College

Mansfield College Video Case Study

Bedales School Art & Design Building Video Case Study

The design and build of an inspirational new Art and Design Centre that blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings

OUES Radcliffe Camera and Ashmolean Video Case Study

A short video highlighting some of the work carried out to maintain and refurbish the Radcliffe Camera and the Ashmolean Museum

OUES Bodleian Library and University Examination Schools Video Case Study

A short video explaining some of the work carried out at the Bodleian Library and for the Oxford University Examination Schools