Hertford College

Hertford College in Oxford is being renovated and refurbished by Beard Construction as part of a multi-million pound project to improve facilities and make the library fit for purpose. The development will not only significantly improve the library itself, but also the archive, study and meeting spaces and modernise the fabric of the historic buildings and their energy usage.

In preparation for the new building work, archaeological excavation was carried out in the area followed by demolition of a building from the 1960s on site. A basement library will be constructed as well as a two storey building housing seminar and lecture theatres, office and storage space. The new block will also feature a roof terrace which will overlook the adjacent Bodleian library. The new library will be housed beneath the college’s existing Old Chapel and at the centre there will be a reading room, office spaces and rooms for archive storage.

Part of the renovation will see the repair and restoration of the listed college buildings’ exterior stonework, while the original double-height plasterwork panelling and cornicing in the Old Chapel will be uncovered and the original circulation route between the chapel and the quad reinstated.

Recently, bench joinery and site carpentry students were given an exclusive look at the underground library that is currently under construction beneath the quad at the college. They explored elements of the new project, from underpinning the old chapel to exploring carpentry features, gaining hands on insight into construction, archaeology, and architecture.

As part of the construction process, Hoard-it supplied a hoarding solution that included 44 LM metres of hoarding panels, two pairs of access and branded site graphics from Brand-it. The unique graphics feature information about the history of the college, together with photos and details about the current project so pedestrians can see images of the finished work.