Innovate, Surprise, Delight...
bblur is an architectural practice thinking across the boundaries of building, sculpture and urban design, so we can transform our client’s needs into valuable, beautiful and effective architecture.
Our practice, led by Matthew Bedward and Daniel Bérubé, has a skilled core team of collaborative and passionate people. We are proud of our growing reputation for creating memorable, thoughtful architecture.
Since we formed bblur architecture in 2008 we have successfully designed and delivered a range of different project types at vastly different scales, from the tiny town square insertion in Manzanares to our completed Gibraltar International Airport. Our long standing involvement in the regeneration of Slough town centre continues with our Cultural Centre providing a community focus for the town.
Each of the selected projects illustrate our commitment to celebrating the public aspect of architecture as a method of providing our clients with cost effective tailored solutions. Each scheme contributes to solving the evolving pressures on communities and the public realm.
The making of architecture inevitably involves change. Our strength is devising persuasive and compelling schemes that help make change positive and welcomed.
People
Everything we do is driven by the needs of people and our belief that architecture should help make our environment better. From the brief requirements of our clients to understanding the way individuals and groups interact while at work, rest or play; our work focuses on creating meaningful, efficient and enjoyable buildings.
Strong Relevant Ideas
Not all ideas are equal and no project occurs in a vacuum. We create buildings that delight by understanding the unique forces shaping each individual project. Every client organisation, brief, budget, function, site and community is different. Whatever the scale of the project, we question all aspects of technique, materials and function; distilling ideas to their essence to create the clearest statement for our clients.
Collaboration
We think teamwork is essential to successfully design and deliver high performance buildings for complex briefs. Our team’s proactive attitude helps develop strong, productive relationships with our clients and other design specialists. This facilitates the unfettered exploration of possible design solutions. Our method enables us to develop innovative solutions relevant to our client’s identity and the functional requirements of the project.
The Urban Environment
We believe the quality of our urban environments help define our society. Our cities, neighbourhoods and homes provide the physical apparatus for economic, social and cultural development. In a world with increasing numbers of people and diminishing resources; the well designed city is a vital model for creating distinctive, diverse and high quality places to live.
Place Making
Public architecture plays a significant role in creating legible towns and cities. Urban landmarks provide points of orientation within the urban fabric and help define the character of a place by providing a distinct visual identity.
Public Realm
The Public Realm is the collective space between buildings, defining the generosity and utility of a place. From the details of managing vehicles and providing ample pavements with safe step free crossings; to the planning of new parks, tree-lined streets and squares; a well designed public realm turns functional necessity into a rich, varied and inclusive environment.
People
Matthew Bedward
BA(Hons),Dip Arch,RIBA AoU
Partner
Matthew gained experience in a number of design practices working at Foster Associates (now Foster and Partners), Chris Wilkinson, Architekturburo Konrad Frey in Graz and Brookes Stacey Randall Fursdon before becoming Design Director at Reid Architecture.
Matthew’s design experience covers a wide range of different project types including one off housing, public transport, aviation, cultural buildings, offices, retail, residential and master planning. His work is driven by the search for relevant difference in each brief and site. Matthew is a member of the Academy of Urbanism.
Daniel Bérubé
BEnv Studies,BArch,RIBA
Partner
Dan has lived and worked in Toronto, Montreal, Rome and finally London at a wide range of significant architectural practices including Brookes Stacey Randall Fursdon, BDP, Imagination and Dixon Jones.
Dan’s design experience is wide ranging and includes event and gallery design, residential, airports, master planning and high end one off housing. His work is infused with his love of two recurring themes, the architecture of travel and the design of places for living.
Cristina Rodriguez
Partner
Cristina heads the human resources and the financial control of the practice.
Clients & Collaborators
We have had the pleasure of working with some exceptional clients including:
The Government of Gibraltar, Slough Borough Council, AEG Europe, TAG Farnborough Airport, Adiryiah Development Authority, LLDC, Development Securities, Aylesbury Vale District Council, Minerva, British Airways, Shanly Group, Morgan Sindall Investments, ISG, Buckinghamshire County Council, Ayuntamiento de Manzanares de Rioja, Capital & Provincial, UCL, Tower Transit, YOO, Ascendal
Our projects are realised through a rigorous process of discussion, exploration and workshops with our collaborators including:
Buro Happold, Fitton Associates, Gardiner and Theobald, Spacehub, Deerns, WYG, NACO, Alan Baxter Associates, Ramboll, Seven, CZWG, Terence O’Rourke, Peter Brett Associates, Base Structures, Cyril Sweett, Turley Associates, Deloitte Drivas Jonas, Speirs + Major, Design Fire, Happold Consulting, 3DReid, Mach Acoustics, Team Macarie, JI Studio, Hitch + Mylius, Rogers Stirk Harbour Partnership.
Our photographic collaborators are:
Hufton + Crow, Richard Seymour, Javier Orive and Matt Clayton
Press & Awards
Please find a link to our newsletters below. If you would like to subscribe, email: info@bblur.com
News
Slough Bus Station
Technology Magazine - 11/2011
Civil Engineering Magazine - 01/2012
ARKETIPO Magazine - 06/2012
EXE Magazine no.13 - 07/2013
CONCEPT Magazine - 2013
Brand Magazine - 03/2014
Exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Gibraltar Airport
Dezeen emagazine - 06/2013
Progettare Magazine - 01/2011
Airports of the World - 2011
Finalist in - WORLD INFRASTRUCTURE AWARDS 2013
Up at the O2
RIBA Magazine - 07/2012
Architecture Today Magazine -10/2012
New London Magazine - 2012
Commended in - NEW LONDON AWARDS 2012
Slough Cultural Centre & Library
Architecture Today - 2015