We’re delighted to reach the milestone of planning consent for Plot C at Oxford North – an ambitious new science and technology district for Oxford being developed by Stanhope, Thomas White Oxford and Cadillac Fairview. Our proposals will provide a highly flexible new laboratory building at the heart of this district, bringing care and craft to its design and role in placemaking, in creating a vibrant new destination. It has been a pleasure to work collaboratively with such an outstanding team on this transformative project.

Gort Scott ran a 1-week summer placement for two Year 12 students at London Design & Engineering UTC organised by Lendlease, in line with wider socioeconomic aspirations at Silvertown to promote STEM careers and encouraging work opportunities. The students were challenged to design a home for a young family by retrofitting a space within an existing building. Supported by mentors Edwin, Florence and Martin, the students Nicolos and Ben lead their own research and developed concepts, of which they successfully presented at Lendlease office among other students and mentors.

“Having my work experience with Gort Scott allowed me to increase my awareness of the architectural world and understand what sort of actions take place, from being given briefs that can vary very drastically, to spending days on end designing what you have been briefed on. The day to day is pretty relaxing with a lot of learning and putting practical skills to use. The environment is also very friendly. I am so glad to have had this work experience, thank you to my mentors and everyone else at Gort Scott” - Nicolos Makatsaria

Associate Jonathan Mann visited the NLA conference ‘Scales of Circularity’ this week where NLA followed up their Circular London report with an inspiring discussion on how circular London is – and could be – today.

Topics ranged from effective ways to change a whole neighbourhood on the ground (Hounslow’s Heston In The Loop) to forward-thinking structural re-use by FORE Partnership (Tower Bridge Court) and Fabrix (Roots in the Sky). Located within walking distance of our own retrofitted office, these projects show what is possible when vision and will come from the top. While we wait for the comprehensive circular sector that we need, it was an invigorating reminder that the right teams, spotting the right opportunities, can still make great leaps forward together.

Gort Scott have a growing number of circular schemes in the pipeline, pushing anything from recycled materials and demountable fitouts to potential re-use of steel frames, and explore these ideas wherever we can. Our circular urban-scale proposals (with other members of London collective LondonOn) were recently awarded a commendation in international competition ‘Circular Block – Reinventing the Mikrorayan’. We’re excited to see these sustainable principles lived out in our own neighbourhood.

Directors Jay Gort and Fiona Scott had the honour to present during the annual RIBA Lecture in the new riverside Pavilion at St Hilda’s College in Oxford.

The lecture “Resonance” included our own self-built office in Bermondsey, Three Mills Studios, St Catharine’s College, the Whistler house, and St Hilda’s College itself. Jay and Fiona presented insight into how the practice finds resonances with place and context, and how we work with the boundaries of what is existing and constantly evolving, and what is new, to make the settings for everyday spatial and social experiences.

“The beautiful evening on the riverside provided the perfect setting and illustration of our ideas about resonance. We’re grateful to RIBA and Oxford Preservation Trust for the opportunity, and as ever to all at St Hilda’s for their support.” – Director Fiona Scott

We are very pleased to be shortlisted for the AJ Architecture Awards 2023 for Three Mills Studios Studios under category Refurb Project.

The refurbished buildings at Three Mills Studios, recently visited by Mayor Sadiq Khan, support the thriving creative industries in east London.

The project brings under-used heritage buildings back into use as new spaces, and greatly improves their environmental sustainability, climate resilience and economic viability. Improving their resilience and securing their long-term future for the enjoyment of generations to come.

Winners will be announced on Wednesday 22 November at the AJ Awards at Hilton London Metropole.

Director Jay Gort will take part at the Designers’ Saturday in Oslo on the 8-10 September. Designers’ Saturday is the largest and most important meeting place for design and interior architecture in Norway.

This year’s Designers’ Saturday Theme, Collaborate, will be explored through panel discussions, live interviews, and lectures. The panel discussion includes Tina Norden, Lex Pott, Alfredo Häberli, Kristine Five Melvær and more.

You can register here to attend the event on Friday 8 September.

Gort Scott and Allies and Morrison are hosting a series of walking tours of Gateway West and Gateway Central during the Open House Festival 2023 on Wednesday 6 September and Sunday 10 September.

See inside the newest low energy workspace buildings in White City Place, an established creative and life sciences hub of London. Not ordinarily open to the public, these tours present a unique opportunity to see two complementary approaches to workplaces and amenities. The tours given by architects from both practices will offer their valuable insights into design and construction, and the surrounding area.

Project architects from Allies and Morrison and Gort Scott will lead the tour giving first-hand insight into the concept, design process and inspiration behind both projects. There will be a chance for the tour attendees to ask questions to further tap into this expert knowledge.

Book your free tickets here.

Technical Director Chis Neve is attending the RIBA Oxfordshire networking event hosted at
St Hilda’s College in Oxford on the 15^th of September.

Chris has been St Hilda’s College project lead and will be joining the building tour and talking about the process of creating a more connected and inclusive space for the college.

The event will take place on Friday 15^th September and tickets are available here.

Gort Scott have been shortlisted for Refurbishment Architect of the Year category in the Architect of the Year Awards. We are proud to have been shortlisted alongside many friends and aspirational practices.

Our commitment to refurbishment, retrofitting, and extension work is long-standing. We prioritize these practices not only to reduce embodied carbon, wastage, and energy consumption but also because they provide social benefits for occupants, the community, and our shared heritage.

Winners to be announced 17th October at the Awards ceremony at The Brewery in London.

Jay Gort and Fiona Scott have been invited by the Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT) to deliver the annual RIBA Lecture on the 5th September. With previous RIBA Lectures having been given by Alison Brooks, Jim Eyre and Niall McLaughlin; we are looking forward to becoming part of an ongoing discussion.

The lecture, “Resonance”, will include Gort Scott’s work for St Hilda’s College as well as other projects in Oxford, London and internationally.

We will present insight into how we find resonances with place and context, and respond to new ways of living, working and learning. We will discuss how we work with the boundaries of what is existing and constantly evolving, and what is new, to make the settings for everyday spatial and social experiences.

Last month, Gort Scott welcomed Lan Milne as a new BIM coordinator. As a qualified architect with experience working in architectural and MEP BIM environments, Lan will be a key member of the Integrated Technology Action Group. Having a dedicated tech-focused member of staff will allow the practice to proactively research new technological tools and integrates those within the practice’s design processes.

The Integrated Technology Action Group is looking at a wide range of innovative digital tools, such as artificial intelligence, generative design, and embodied carbon calculators. The wide range of digital tools will support the design team, inform better collaboration, and improve the integration of environmental design across all work stages.

“ I am passionate about integrating traditional collaborative design methods and the latest building information modelling technology in order optimise not only the process but also how this has an impact on delivering ambitious sustainable projects” Lan Milne - BIM coordinator.

Gort Scott took on 3 students this Summer for a one-week work experience placement in the practice. The students from Social Mobility Foundation and Old Oak West PlaceLab workshop, between 16-18 years old, are planning to apply for Architecture study at University and were keen to gain a better understanding of the industry. The students have been involved first-hand reviewing projects and attending design team meetings supported by mentors Oliver Carter, Florence Father and Megan Thacker-Brooks.

“Work experience at Gort Scott was extremely innovative and enjoyable, I was able to learn how to use many programs that I hadn’t used before such as SketchUp etc and witness the daily lifestyle of architects such as the participation in competitions, reviewing projects during meetings and much more. Overall, I really liked my time at Gort Scott and find their work extremely interesting as well as unique.” - Fatima Gohar, Social Mobility Foundation student

We are honoured with the visit by Sadiq Khan to Three Mills Studios today, where Gort Scott were appointed as lead architects alongside Freehaus, Knight Frank, OR Consulting and Momentum Engineering by the London Legacy Development Corporation, thanks to grant funding from MHCLG (DLUHC), the GLA, and the LLDC.

Working in collaboration with partner architects Freehaus, the wider project team, and the contractors Gilbert Ash; Gort Scott helped to deliver a number of essential projects which creatively repurpose important but largely disused heritage buildings, supporting the activities of 3 Mills Studios, one of London’s most iconic film and television production studios, and the wider creative industries in London.

Three Mills island is a unique remnant of historic London and is the city’s oldest still-surviving industrial centre. The new creative spaces will encourage the establishment of new businesses and employment opportunities by contributing to the economy of the Bromley-by-Bow area and providing a significant investment into the cultural sector, whilst supporting the growing TV and film industry in East London.

The Mayor unveiled the completed £6m development encompassing several of the site’s historic buildings and the creation of over 10,000sqft of creative workspace, boosting the environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and economic viability of these important heritage assets.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is a global hub for film and television and 3 Mills has been pivotal in the success of the industry. The restoration of these historic buildings not only offers much-needed space for more industry production to take place in the capital, but also supports over a thousand jobs in the heart of east London. It will enable the studios to play a major role as the capital’s film and TV industries support our economy and we build a better London for everyone.”

Associate Andrew Tam has been appointed a member of the London Borough of Haringey’s Quality Review Panel as part of Frame Projects’ panel refresh initiative. Frame Projects is a design focused, project management consultancy which manages several design review panels on behalf of planning authorities and public sector clients.

Haringey is typical of what makes London so special – a borough that includes hugely diverse communities reflected in distinct identities that shift along its three main arterial high streets. You will also find sharp contrasts in social mobility and equity, from the affluent neighbourhoods to the south and west of the borough to some of the most deprived wards in London towards the northeast. When riots erupted across the city in 2011, Tottenham was the epicentre. In response, Gort Scott created a Public Room on the site of a disused yard on the High Road as a place facilitating the exchange of skills to empower and bring the local community together.

Some of London’s greatest industries and skilled makers are based in Tottenham, with the Lea Valley a centre for technological innovation in the 20^th Century. Around the same time as the Tottenham Public Room, Gort Scott was commissioned by the GLA with Haringey Council to survey the ecosystem of local industrial estates. A staggering diversity of trades were unearthed, from craft brewers and cheesemakers to leatherworkers and pleaters, window glaziers to makers of thousand-pound shoes sold at Harrods. These businesses were mapped and compiled in a directory with samples of their products displayed at an exhibition called ‘From Around Here’, which took place on the ground floor of 639 High Road next to the Public Room, a historic building now a community-oriented centre for enterprise and creativity. It is currently being refreshed by Freehaus, who we collaborated with at Three Mills Studios.

Associate Andrew Tam said: “Having been on the other side of the table through numerous similar panels, I look forward to bringing my experience of leading a wide variety of projects at Gort Scott, ranging from public realm strategies and meanwhile affordable work/retail space to city-scale masterplans. While being both a resident of North and East London boroughs and an architect operating in these areas for more than a decade, I hope to use this opportunity to assist Haringey Council with championing the high environmental and social sustainability standards that come with good design and placemaking as part of the planning process for major development proposals that will define Haringey’s future.”

Associate Andrew Tam will be a part of a panel at ‘Roots, Shoots and Fruits’, a discussion hosted by Better Bankside as part of the London Festival of Architecture with JA Projects about the ambitious transformation of Bankside’s public realm. The event provides an opportunity to learn about the Bankside Urban Forest strategy (now more than a decade since its inception) and the Lowline from various designers and experts who have collectively contributed to the success of these initiatives.

Gort Scott’s public realm strategy for Bankside includes Keppel Row, a pedestrian and cycle-friendly street with sustainable urban drainage, one of the projects that will be discussed during the panel.

“Keppel Row was a back alley that felt unsafe to pass through. The success of this project is in creating an urban intervention that makes a place that feels like it has always been there. Keppel Row’s raingardens are tended to as part of a community gardening initiative. Working with Better Bankside and Southwark Council, our strategy for improving Bankside’s public realm to create new walking and cycling routes, playing on the area’s rich history, reimagined this alley as a SuDS pocket park.” Andrew Tam, Associate.

Roots, Shoots and Fruits is free to attend and takes place at Better Bankside Arch on Thursday 29 June between 18:00-20:00. Book here for tickets.