Shu Architects, 43-45 Park Street, Bristol (2026)

29/05/2026

We’re excited to share a new set of photos from our recently completed Cathedral Café project at — a modest but transformative scheme that reimagines the 1960s refectory built over the 12th century remains of the Bishops Palace into an accessible, light‑filled and welcoming space for visitors and the Cathedral community.

Our design focused on improving the arrival experience, creating level access, opening up views to the garden, and introducing a warm, modern interior palette. By raising the floor, relocating and reducing the kitchen, and forming a new visual connection to the garden, the café now feels like the oasis it was always meant to be — calm, comfortable, and connected to its historic setting.

We’re looking forward to returning to the Cathedral soon as part of the Women in Property South West Spotlight Series, where Claire Humphreys will be presenting the work undertaken so far and sharing insights into the next phase of development. The event also includes a behind‑the‑scenes tour of the upcoming areas of transformation.

Project Team: Shu Architects

Explore the project on our website.

📸
🍩

15/05/2026

Whether we're working on a listed cottage on the Isles of Scilly, a complex heritage building in Bristol or a contemporary office space, the challenge is always the same with an existing building: how do we fully understand a place, and do it justice, without being there every day?

Digital survey tools like LiDAR and Matterport have become a genuine part of how we work; from feasibility to construction and not as a shortcut, but as a way of being more thorough, more considered, and more efficient for and on behalf of our clients.

Read more in our latest blog to find out more - link in blog highlights.

Image 71 Park Street, Bristol:

07/05/2026

🎥✨ New heights on Park Street

A drone sweep over 71 Park Street captures something special — a once‑lost piece of Bristol’s historic streetscape, now fully reinstated and humming with new life with on the ground floor and student residential above.

You can read more about our work on 71 Park Street here: https://lnkd.in/e2JyZ2-X

🎬 Videography by

Project Team: Clever Space Construction, Highgate Transportation Limited, RDH Mechanical Services Ltd, , , , , JP Builders, .ltd Aztech flooring, , KittoJoinery, Rank Engineering &

30/04/2026

Project Update: Kinbourn House

With site setup now complete, works officially begins this week. The existing office building will be reimagined as high‑quality student accommodation with Clever Space Construction for Urban Creation.

Delivered in collaboration with:
Clever Space Construction, Pride Consulting IMS, &

23/04/2026

We are excited to have received Full Planning & Listed Building Consent for a new modern extension with internal improvements to a garden maisonette in Caledonia Place, the beautiful Grade II* listed terrace in Clifton.

Many of these grand town houses were split into apartments during WWII and the decisions made them to the layouts are not often conducive to modern living. We have taken the opportunity to improve the internal flow of the new and historic spaces while cleaning a dedicated family kitchen diner.

The extension is a modern intervention, utilising high quality materials, juxtaposing the heritage features to the rear elevation.

This is our third successful consent for remodelling of a family dwelling to this iconic terrace and it has been wonderful to design spaces that when delivered will bring hoy to family life and allow for the next chapter of the building's history.

09/04/2026

Recently completed internal fit out for , supporting their Bristol workshop and the continued production of some of the world’s most exceptional scale models.

Amalgam Collection occupies a unique place in the history of fine model making, creating unrivalled representations of the world’s most iconic and luxurious cars. Working in close partnership with leading designers, engineers, drivers and manufacturers, their work reflects an extraordinary level of precision, craftsmanship and authenticity.

The project involved subdividing the existing space to form a new, highly considered base of operations. This included dedicated storage, a spray booth for precision finishing, laser cutting facilities and organised tool storage, all tailored to support their meticulous model making process.

Designed to enhance workflow while maintaining the highest standards of making, the space reflects Amalgam’s ongoing pursuit of excellence and their commitment to producing pieces where no effort or expense is spared.

A rewarding project to deliver for a team setting the benchmark in craftsmanship and model making.

design

27/03/2026

It was great to experience the recently, with installations across the city
bringing a real sense of atmosphere and engagement to public spaces.

A particular highlight was The Midnight Ballet in the University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens
by sculptor Will Budgett. Seven illuminated steel structures transform the landscape into a
dreamlike display, each casting the silhouette of a ballerina through carefully composed light. As
you move through the gardens, the shadows shift and unfold, creating a quiet choreography
between sculpture, setting, and audience.

The grounds wrap around Royal Fort House, a Grade I listed building, where we have handed
over the first stage of the new south ramp. While final elements to the steps are still to be
installed, it has been great to see people already using and experiencing the space as part of the
festival.

The ramp has been carefully designed to preserve the character of the elevation, with a 1:21 gradient. As a result, handrails and nosings, soon to be installed, will be limited to the stepped areas only, minimising visual impact on the heritage setting.

A rewarding moment to see the project contributing to how people engage with such a special place.

publicrealm
accessibility heritage design

06/03/2026

We are excited to be working with Bristol 63rd Scouts on an additional Scout Hut to expand on their current provision, both for the Scouts and the wider community that use the hall.

We have recently undertaken a pre-app consultation with Bristol City Council and it was great to receive a positive response in such good time.

Whenever we have a particularly complimentary comment we love to share it; here is an extract from their response:

“The proposed redevelopment of the site to expand its existing community use is welcomed. The Local Planning Authority (LPA) commends the design work undertaken to date and the applicant’s positive engagement with the local community... the overall design quality is considered strong and well-informed.”

We take pride in designing site responsive and contextual architecture, and so were delighted to receive such positive feedback.

We’re passionate about designing buildings that are rooted in their neighbourhoods and shaped by the people who use them. Working with the Scout Group has been a real pleasure and a nice reminder of our own days in The Scouts and Guides.

If you’re part of a community group in Bristol thinking about improving or expanding your space, early conversations and a collaborative approach can make a real difference.

We’re looking forward to developing this project further over the coming months; stay tuned to keep up to date with the progress...

27/02/2026

Listed Building Consent Granted ✅️

Not all of our projects are close to home; we have recently been working on the Isles of Scilly.

We are delighted to have secured Listed Building Consent for carefully considered internal alterations to a charming grade II listed building. The works include reconfiguring the internal spaces to
improve the bedrooms, provide additional sanitary facilities, and enhance the entrance space and stairway.

While the changes may appear modest, they are all about making the house work better for everyday family life in this beautiful part of the world.

This project is a great example of how small interventions can make big changes and even in a heritage setting it is possible to adapt a space in a way that feels natural and considered in order to make it work best for you respecting the historic character whilst adapting to contemporary living can sometimes be conflicting.

That said, on any heritage project there is usually *a little* extra thought required to
ensure the historic fabric is respected and the building is adapted to contemporary
living. But, on this project, we feel that the success of this application has been driven by the strong communication between ourselves, the Planning Officers, Conservation Officers and CARE accredited engineer, Paul Carpenter of PCA Consulting Engineers.

This has resulted in a solution that not only achieves the client’s aspirations but is also sympathetic to the historic building.
If you are considering a change to a listed or period property, early thoughtful design
and clear communication can make all of the difference.

Give us a call and we would love to talk to you about your project.

12/02/2026

We’ve got a lot of exciting new projects landing in the office, which can only mean one thing… sample time.

Material selection is a key part of what we do. In fact, it’s something we are often thinking about from our very first initial meeting. Materials help define a building and how it will change and interact with its setting. Should it be bold and stand out? Or quietly blend into its surroundings? The right choices shape how a project feels, performs and is perceived.

In heritage and listed building work, it’s not simply about using existing or reclaimed materials (for a start, there is a limited supply of them). It’s about understanding the character, context and history of a building and making informed decisions that respect that story. Often the original materials are no longer available, so we carefully source high-quality alternatives that protect the integrity of the design while meeting modern requirements. It is a careful balance of heritage and performance, a great example of is vacuum glazing systems, such as Fineo which we have found are becoming increasingly popular on listed and heritage buildings. They allow us to retain traditional, slim sightlines while significantly improving thermal performance and comfort without altering the building’s character.

On a new build, sometimes it is about finding a standard material and how to use that in a personal and tailored way. Other times it’s about exploring new ideas, innovative finishes and evolving technologies. We look at how materials can push a design forward, improving sustainability, longevity and overall impact. Sampling allows us to properly assess texture, tone, scale and quality in real life. When you look at a sample on a screen you miss out on the tactile experience. We love having clients in the office and being able to pick up materials, move them around and find the best combination. We even encourage clients to take them to site to see how the light changes their qualities or how they sit within the environment.

Whether we’re responding to history or creating something entirely new, getting the materials right at the start sets the tone for everything that follows.

Shu Architects

29/05/2026

15/05/2026

07/05/2026

30/04/2026

23/04/2026

09/04/2026

27/03/2026

06/03/2026

27/02/2026

12/02/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category