Stride Treglown

This practice, which has its origins in Bristol and still keeps its head office there, has stepped up one place in this year’s AJ100, but clearly has larger ambitions in terms of work if not practice size.

This is evidenced by the recent establishment of 431 Architecture, its alliance with TODD Architects and Keppie Design, with Stride Treglown the largest participant. The venture has been billed not as a merger but as a means of offering an enhanced service when bidding for work, because it has access to 18 studios.

‘We are really excited about the prospects for this venture,’ says Stride Treglown chairman David Hunter.

‘Each of us has a strong, established reputation in our own right, but our approach and values are very similar. As such, this alliance has the potential to become a really significant presence in UK architecture.’

Stride Treglown also recently bought Bournville Village Trust’s architects division, giving it a foothold in Birmingham. This follows on from the big move at the start of last year when it decided to go for employee ownership. The latest alliance is an indication that, whatever else happens, this will not lead to stultification.

Recently the practice won planning permission for Bishop Gate, a 1,116-bed development that will provide purpose-built student accommodation for Coventry University in five mid-rise buildings.

In the last year its town planning side provided planning services and environmental impact assessments for the proposed Hampshire Critical Treatment Hospital, while it has also undertaken work on major education projects.

The year also saw the opening of the £450 million Science and Innovation Campus for Swansea University. With its enhanced geographical spread, expect Stride Treglown to go from strength to strength.