Local MP Paul Keetch was the guest of honour at the opening of the campus on 12 March 2010, following its £32m redevelopment.

Paul explained the importance of this facility to Hereford and the region both in terms of providing training and employment.  Principal and Chief Executive Ian Peake thanked Stubbs Rich and said,

‘This is a truly outstanding new building. It is brilliantly designed with many innovative features, and constructed to a very high standard. The teaching rooms and workshops are spacious and well equipped, and the provision of new technology is superb. This huge project is a fantastic success. Our students and staff are delighted, and so am I!’

 

Stubbs Rich are proud to be winners of this year’s Design Quality Award for their Komedia project in Bath. The judges said, ‘Stubbs Rich have breathed new life into this worthy Art-Deco building, and created an excellent venue.’ John Rich is pictured with local MP Don Foster and other award winners at the Guildhall in Bath.

 

Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, and founder of Powderject, officially opened Oxford Innovation’s new facility on 19 November 2009.

OI and MEPC hosted the event which attracted many of the region’s leading science entrepreneurs.  Lord Drayson spoke of the importance of science research to the UK and the conglomeration of high tech companies within the Oxford / Cambridge / London triangle.  His tour of the building included sampling the research work of some of the cutting edge companies who occupy the building.

Jo Willett of Oxford Innovation said,

‘The design and layout of the building provide an ideal Innovation Centre facility, with plenty of light and space to create opportunities for companies to interact.  Client companies particularly benefit from the flexibility of the space provided; it really provides a prestigious location for even the earliest stage company. Despite only being open since January 2009 there are already 31 companies in occupation or using the virtual offices and hot desk facilities.’

 

Nearly 70 people attended an early morning seminar at Komedia in Bath. Attracted by the venue, one of our projects, and the prospect of a River Cottage breakfast and entertainment from the Natural Theatre Company, they came to hear how Stubbs Rich had cut 40% off the cost of a new laboratory and offices project for Oxford University.  The project has just won a Value award and Project of the Year from Constructing Excellence.

This value-focused agenda is not some 2009 post-recession bandwagon, it is deeply embedded in the practice’s DNA.  Over the last 25 years, we have learnt how to cut costs and reduce risks and at the same time make buildings better and more client-focused.  We have done it for Oxford University, for developer MEPC, and retailer IKEA.  Having found out how to do it, we know we can do it again.

Having been a limited company since our inception, we have now changed our form of incorporation to become a limited liability partnership - Stubbs Rich LLP.

This will not affect the high quality of our responsiveness and service in any way.  For all practical purposes, the change will have no noticeable effect.

The benefits of the change will become more tangible in the medium term, since the LLP structure is better suited to leadership growth and succession management within a professional firm, and this is the reason we have made the change.