We are incredibly proud of our long history of architecture and are fortunate to have been supported by our clients to develop numerous key buildings and sites in Bristol and the surrounding area. Founded in 1928, the practice has been going for nearly 100 years. To see just how much impact we have had on the city and spaces of Bristol, use the interactive map below.
Please get in touch with any stories you may have of these buildings and places so that we can help to collect more of the social narrative around the work that the studio has produced.
A Brief History of the Practice
Alec French set up the Bristol practice in 1928 having previously worked in Western Super Mare. Alec French & Partners developed to become the foremost architectural practice operating in Bristol, particularly between the 1960s and 1970s when a second office was opened in Plymouth to expand the practice’s regional presence.
[Alec French (left image), Mark Osborne (top left), David Mellor (bottom left), Nigel Dyke (top right) and Richard Lee (bottom right)]
Towards the end of the 70’s Richard Lee and David Mellor were made directors and with economic and technological changes in the UK during the 1980’s the practice, now Alec French Partnership, was able to manage solely from the Bristol office. With the new partners the practice picked up a string of awards and gained a reputation for high quality service to clients in a range of sectors, including commercial office, city centre residential, retail, educational, cultural and urban renewal.
Following this boom period in Bristol’s post war redevelopment Mark Osborne, Nigel Dyke and Robin Gray replaced outgoing board members and took the company into a highly successful new era, making further significant contributions to the city, delivering milestone projects at Wapping Wharf, Bristol Beacon, Bristol City Hall and Everards Printworks. Today Mark Osborne and Robin Gray continue to develop and maintain our reputation for high quality architectural services in the Bristol and wider region. The practice has won numerous awards during this time and we are proud to continue to shape and develop this city alongside our ambitious clients and consultants.
Our current board of directors: Mark Osborne & Robin Gray
If you’d like to see more on our recent projects, services or what we’ve been up to recently, please see the links below.