Our Practice

We are a multi-award-winning practice with extensive experience designing projects with lasting value for our clients and the communities in which we work.

Originally founded as Leonard Baart Associates in the 1963, the practice has evolved through various iterations before becoming BCHN Architects in 2023 following a merger between Baart Harries Newall and Bott Cruise Architects.

The practice is led by Dr Paul Harries and Mark Newall, founding partners of Baart Harries Newall, and Michael Cruise and Barbora Bott, who both have extensive design-led experience working at major Birmingham practices for much of their careers.

Together they share an ethos for high-quality design and personal service, with the merged practice bringing together an array of complementary skills and expertise to provide an unrivalled client experience.

Our diverse portfolio extends across a range of sectors and at all scales and our talented team has significant experience in architecture, masterplanning, urban regeneration and conservation, interior design and sustainable design. 

Our Approach

The collaborative relationship we form with our clients is central to the way we work, with dialogue sitting at the heart of everything that we do.

Great design is about more than aesthetics, it is about ensuring that a place or space fulfils its desired purpose and meets the needs of not just the client but also the end user and the community in which it sits. 

We bring intelligence in design and guide our clients through the complexities of the process, leading them through all stages until the project is built. 

For each project we explore every aspect of a project’s qualities and constraints - materiality, landscape, urban landscape, vernacular and contemporary architecture – to ensure that our solutions are not only contextual and sensitive but respond to the way people live today and into the future. 

By focusing on high-quality design, collaboration and seamless realisation, we are able to deliver projects that are inspirational, sustainable and commercially viable. 

  • Mark is an Architect with almost 40 years’ experience who has spent much of his career playing a key role in the preservation of the historic fabric of the West Midlands.

    After a decade working across a number of practices in London, Mark relocated to Shrewsbury where he established a partnership that would lay the foundations for the practice that has become BCHN Architects.

    Over the past three decades he has worked on a wide range of award-winning educational and public sector buildings including children’s centres, new primary schools and extensions, civic centres and public community buildings.

    At the heart of his work however has been a passion for the restoration and reuse of historic buildings and places, working as the conservation architect for the Heritage Lottery Fund on a number of projects as well as being an appointed architect to the Hereford, Lichfield, St Asaph and Llandaff Dioceses.

  • Paul’s wealth of experience over a 40-year career extends to leading on a number of RIBA Award-winning projects and helping to establish a new school of architecture in Swansea.

    In his early career Paul worked in both the public and private sector in London, designing a wide range of buildings including schools, housing and commercial offices.

    Since joining forces with Mark Newell to establish Baart Harries Newell in 1996, Paul has built an extensive portfolio of residential, commercial and education work with a number of projects going on to win RIBA awards for their design. He is particularly interested in the challenge of designing contemporary buildings in historic environments.

    In addition to his extensive experience in practice, Paul has lectured and taught at architecture schools across the UK. He has acted as an external examiner, validator and advisor to several schools of architecture, both in the UK and internationally.

  • Barbora spent a decade as a senior archictect for Associated Architects before establishing her own studio in 2016.

    During her time at AA Barbora developed significant multi-sector experience across all design stages, with a particular focus on the design and delivery of a number of public and private school and university projects.

    She has more than 15 years' experience in the education sector, delivering new build, refurbushment and masterplanning schemes for a range of building types and scales, including a long-standing relationship with Yarm School in the North-east of England where she has been involved in the campus redevelopment since 2007.

    Barbora continues to enjoy an active connection with universities across the Midlands, acting as visiting tutor at Birmingham City University and sitting on the examining board for the professional diploma at the University of Nottingham.

  • Michael is a passionate designer who spent 15 years at the highly regarded Glenn Howells Architects in Birmingham.

    During his time as a studio director at GHA, Michael led on the design and delivery of a wide range of award-winning projects, including the Remembrance Centre at the National Arboretum, which was awarded RIBA’s West Midlands Building of the Year and long-listed for the coveted Stirling Prize.

    Other projects included leading a consultant team on the ongoing Shrewsbury Big Town Plan, designing Severn Trent Water’s Shrewsbury headquarters and playing a key role in the design and delivery of One St Peter’s Square, a landmark office scheme credited with driving the commercial renaissance of Manchester city centre.

    More recently he formed a partnership with Barbora Bott, where they collaborated on a number of innovative residential and education projects before merging with Baart Harris Newall to establish BCHN Architects.

  • Robert is a long-standing member of the BCHN team whose expertise in working on complex school projects has been a vital component in building the practice’s extensive education portfolio.

    Robert started his career working for Save the Children in Sri Lanka before spending a decade in Japan at Atelier Aku Architects and Associates, developing his interest in innovative design where he published work on single person housing and the technical approach to designing a landmark observation tower in the Japanese fishing town of Oumu.

    His experience in Sri Lanka and Japan developed a strong commitment to environmental design and as well as being the practice’s sustainability champion, Robert has also designed one of Shropshire’s first zero carbon homes.

    Since joining the practice in 1999, Robert has developed a specialism in projects across the education sector and has most recently been involved in the delivery of a number of schemes for Worcestershire County Council under a framework agreement.

  • Janet is a highly experienced architect with a wide understanding of commercial, education and domestic projects.

    She has a deep knowledge of the built environment, having previously worked with the building surveying and architect's department at Shropshire County Council and in the construction sector before moving to private practice.

    As well as being a skilled designer, Janet is passionate about her profession and has had a longstanding relationship with the Shropshire Society of Architects, having previously held the role of Chairman and Secretary.

    Janet has worked on a variety of projects with her most recent work including the re-modelling and extension of several Shropshire fire stations, new kitchens and dining rooms at SHS Prep and Shrewsbury High School, new science classrooms, new sports hall and variety of other projects.

  • Simon is an associate and interior design specialist with more than 15 years' experience in a range of sectors including healthcare, education, conservation, adapted reuse and community-based projects.

    Simon's design language and philosophy creates interiors with a stong contrast between existing and proposed, creating architectural elements that express form by functionality.

    His experience includes the award-winning Number Four restaurant development in Shrewsbury as well as the Reynolds Building at Thomas Telford School, Fordbridge Community Primary School in Solihull and Lawley Village Primary SChool Academy.

    Simon has significant experience across all RIBA stages with his output including sketches, graphics, technical detail resolutions and computer-generated images to name a few.

People

  • Wayne is a highly experienced architectural technologist who has worked with the practice since graduating from university in 1998.

    He has an extensive knowledge of current Building Regulations and has worked across a wide range of sectors preparing submissions for Planning applications, Building Control applications and Listed Building and conservation applications.

    Wayne has an active interest and in depth understanding of both modern and traditional architectural technology, as well as conservation building technology and practices, having worked on important restoration projects including Cannon Hall Park in Barnsley, Hanley Park in Stoke and a renovation and conversion scheme at Tintern House in Dudley.

  • Sue is responsible for ensuring that everything at BCHN works like clockwork.

    Sue has more than 30 years administration experience, having previously worked in the legal sector before joining the practice in 2004.

    Her day to day responsibilities range from maintaining records of email correspondence for each project and issuing invoices and certificates for projects to arranging meetings and managing payroll.

    Most importantly, she has a forensic knowledge of the practice and its clients and is always on hand to provide answers to any conceivable question.

Sustainability

The provision and use of buildings has a huge impact on the environment.

At BCHN Architects we believe we have a fundamental responsibility to deliver buildings with the lowest possible Whole Life-Cycle Carbon emissions as we strive to minimise our contribution to the looming climate emergency.

This means creating designs that are both resource efficient and environmentally respectful from the outset and which consider not just its impact today but for future generations.

Our clear and common-sense approach to sustainable design ensures that our projects are carefully orientated, well insulated, well-sealed and well-built to ensure that they are built to last.

We are also passionate about the re-use of existing buildings and have significant experience in reimagining old buildings, enhancing their energy performance and extending their useable lifespan by creating vibrant new environments that people want to use and occupy for years to come.

Awards

  • 2021 RIBA West Midlands Small Project Award: Number Four, Shrewsbury

    2021 RIBA West Midlands Awards: Number Four, Shrewsbury

    2021 LABC Building Excellence Awards: West Midlands Regional Winner: Careers Centre, Thomas Telford School

    2020 LABC Building Excellence Awards: Best Partnership with a Local Authority Building Control Team

    2019 RIBA West Midlands Award: Wrekin College Business School, Telford

    2018 Civic Trust Regional Award: Lawley Village Primary Academy, Telford

    2018 Shropshire Council Design and Conservation Award: Number Four, Shrewsbury

    2017 Civic Trust Regional Award: Fordbridge Community Primary School, Solihull

    2017 Civic Trust Regional Award: Coleshill Heath School, Solihull

    2017 Shropshire Council Design and Conservation Award: Chatri Design Centre, Shrewsbury School

    2017 Shropshire Council Design and Conservation Award: Shrewsbury High School

    2016 Civic Trust Regional Award: Pelsall Village Centre, Walsall

    2016 Graphisoft ARCHICAD Sustainable Project of the Year (Runner up): Fordbridge Community Primary School, Solihull

    2013 Shropshire Building Excellence Awards (Overall Winner): Earth Science Building, Shrewsbury Sixth Form College

    2013 West Midlands Built in Quality Awards Community Winner: Pelsall Village Centre, Walsall

    2012 Civic Trust Award: Wem Town Hall, Shropshire

    2012 Civic Trust Award: Cleobury County Centre, Shropshire

  • 2009 Civic Trust Award: Darlastan Sure Start, Walsall

    2009 Civic Trust Award: St Judes Primary School, Wolverhampton

    2007 SCALA Awards Civic Building of the Year: St Judes Primary School, Wolverhampton

    2007 RICS Awards, Winner of Sustainability category: The Harris Centre, Walford College, Shropshire

    2007 Civic Trust Award (Commendation): Flounders Folly, Craven Arms, Shropshire

    2007 Green Apple Award for Built Environment & Architectural Heritage (National Silver Winner): The Cambrian Visitor Centre, Oswestry

    2006 Shrewsbury Civic Society Award of Merit: Shrewsbury School Boarding House

    2005 Civic Trust Award: Mansers Antiques Showroom, Shrewsbury

    2004 Civic Trust: Walsall Library

    2004 Shrewsbury Civic Society Award of Merit: Shrewsbury Sixth Form College

    2003 Brick Awards Best Commercial Building Awards Winner: Manser Antiques New Showroom, Shrewsbury

    2003 Civic Trust Award (Commendation): Concord College Students Canteen, Shropshire

    2003 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Design & Heritage Award: Manser Antiques New Showroom, Shrewsbury

    2002 Architects Journal/Robin Ellis Small Projects Award (3rd Prize): Concord College Students Canteen, Shropshire

    2001 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Design and Heritage Award (New Build): Concord College Music School, Shropshire

    2001 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Design and Heritage Award 2001 (Environmental Improvement): Millenium Lychgate, Church Preen, West Midlands

    2001 Civic Trust Award (Commendation): Millennium Lychgate, Church Preen, West Midlands

    2001 RIBA Regional Award: Concord College students canteen

  • 1999 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Design and Heritage Award: Learning and Information Centre, Shrewsbury Sixth Form College

    1998 Civic Trust Award: Heavers Farm Primary School (Paul Harries)

    1998 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Design and Heritage Award: Environment Agency Regional Office, Shrewsbury

    1997 Croydon Design Award: Heavers Farm Primary School (Paul Harries)

    1996 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Award: Shrewsbury School Science Building

    1996 Civic Society Design Awards: Shrewsbury School Science Building

    1994 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Award: Concord College Sports Hall

    1993 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Award: Field Studies Centre Preston Montford

    1993 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Conservation Award: St Michael's Church, Woolstaston, Shropshire

    1991 RIBA Regional Award: Concord College Swimming Pool, Shropshire

    1991 Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council Award: Concord College Swimming Pool, Shropshire

    1989 Europa Nostra Award: Repair of Pembridge Bell Tower, Shropshire

    1987 Civic Society Award: Repair of listed houses for the Dean and Chapter of Chester, Shropshire

Accrediations