MICA is an award-winning practice working in the UK and internationally across architecture, heritage and landscape projects. We work at all scales and levels, from urban design to individual buildings, interiors and furniture, designed for long-term institutional sustainability.
We are pleased to enclose this brochure of our long, strong track record of working with Gardiner & Theobald. Our work in the historic city of Oxford captures many of the strengths of the collaborative approach, displaying our ability to work at all scales, from a new Quad with rich landscape for Keble College, to a four-phased masterplan at Mansfield College, and triumphant conservation and intervention at the Ashmolean Museum.
MICA and Gardiner & Theobald deliver cost-efficient projects to maximise client’s investments, dedicate capability to integrate new technologies to establish project viability and a robust baseline in sensitive contexts.
Building on our successful collaboration and continuing strong reputation across Oxford and amongst its key stakeholders, we are confident that our further engagement will result in impactful solutions for the city and beyond.
Our team has been fortunate to work extensively in the historic city of Oxford for nearly 30 years, and are proud of a 100% planning and listed building record. Our work has been recognised by 40 awards across 35 projects and we have actively promoted and supported high quality design in our active membership of the Oxford Preservation Trust and the Civic Society.
We continue to support the local economy, sponsorship and employment and in 2017 opened our studio in Oxford to better support our work and clients.
Ashmolean Egypt Galleries Museum 2009 - 2011
Randolph Gallery Conservation 2012 - 2013
The H B Allen Centre Education 2008 - 2019
Mansfield College East Range 2014 - 2017
Mansfield College Masterplan 2018
The Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford 1999 - 2017
Oxford projects
“We are interested in buildings as pieces of the city, in the weave of urban fabric, in making places, in efficiency, in environmental design, in new and old, and in sensitive and respectful design.
Building in Oxford demands these considerations whilst also inviting rewarding client collaborations and unique opportunities for architects and for architecture.”
- Stuart Cade, Director at MICA
Blue: Collaborative projects by MICA and G&T
Black: MICA projects
The H B Allen Centre is a multi-faceted amenity for Keble College and the first complete new 21st century Oxford College complex. The design brings together an innovative mix of uses that support research graduates from study, to nurturing start-ups to employment. Maximising the precious site, the scheme provides 250 graduate student bedrooms, much needed in the centre of the university city.
Maximising the precious site the scheme provides 250 graduate student bedrooms, much needed in the centre of the university city. The brief expanded to encompass a research hotel for visiting academics, an expansive tech start-up incubator, teaching and research spaces, conference facilities, a café, common rooms, leisure amenities and extensive external landscape.
Client Keble College, Oxford
Value £54m
Dates 2016-2019
Area 12,500m2
Use 250 student bedrooms, a collaborative learning centre, library, research centre, and cafe focused around an open 21st century Oxford Quadrangle
Team
MICA - Architectural Services RIBA 0-7 (master-planning, all design phases including construction administration and post-occupancy evaluations)
The generous ground and lower ground floor of public spaces are clustered around a contemporary reinvention of the classic Oxford quad with water features
Completed spaces with open and flexible areas, varied work space and amenities
Keble College The H B Allen Centre
Variety of student bedrooms, ranging from individual student rooms to multi-room apartments
Office and Research space with access to sunken gardens
MICA’s work at Mansfield College, Oxford, began in 2006 with a campus-wide masterplan, consolidating their existing accommodation blocks, listed buildings, external spaces and aiming to maximise opportunities within the existing boundaries to provide new social and living spaces for their students on campus.
Four phases of the masterplan have been delivered by MICA, including the new build Bonavero Institute of Human Rights comprising flexible work, study and research offices, teaching and seminar spaces, social areas and a 160-seat lecture theatre, alongside 72 en-suite study bedrooms, which upon completion was the ‘greenest of its kind’ in Oxford.
MICA and G&T were also appointed in 2019 to draw up and provide initial costings for a further masterplan for Mansfield College for the next phase of works, with a range of options that add between 220 to 300 new study bedrooms to the compact, historic central Oxford site.
“It is no exaggeration to say that their work has transformed the College”
- Allan Dodd, Bursar Mansfield College
Client Mansfield College
Dates 2006-2019
Area 350m2
Use Education, Accommodation
Team
MICA - Masterplanning, all design phases including construction administration and post-occupancy evaluations
Gardiner & Theobald - Cost Consultant Awards
Oxford Preservation Trust Award, Structural Timber Awards shortlist, Offsite Awards shortlist, RIBA South Shortlist
Mansfield College Masterplan
The first phase of the masterplan was the refurbishment of the Grade II* listed East Range to form a café, study and common spaces. The project removed an existing cramped Victorian kitchen from the historic building and placed it in a new purpose-built connection creating a more efficient and accessible space for the café and servery while improving welfare facilities and disabled access. This has provided a wonderful resource for the students of the College who are now able to use the newly created spaces for informal study as well as socially. The spaces transformed the entire campus as for the first all undergraduates could remain on site to study and socialise. The café extends outside on to a south facing, sunken terrace which has become a vibrant social gathering space within a newly landscaped garden.
Client Mansfield College
Value £5.5m
Area 350m2 + external works
Date 2006 - 2015
Use
Accommodation
Kitchen + Cafe
Refurbishment of Chapel Hall
Re-instated Oval Quad Landscape
New sunken terrace
New Lift + Improved Access
Team
MICA - Architectural Services RIBA 0-7
Gardiner & Theobald - Cost Consultant
Intrepid Consulting Engineers - Structural
Engineers
Michael Popper Associates LLP - Services
Jeremy Gardener Associates - Fire
Sandy Brown Associates - Acoustics
JPPC - Planning Consultant
Northcroft - Project Manager
Stepnell - Building Contractor
Mansfield College East Range
The Ashmolean Museum, established in 1683, is the oldest museum in Britain, and a teaching arm of the University of Oxford. Its prominent 1845 Greek Revival frontage by Cockerell saw incremental additions to the Grade I Listed ranges, resulting in a confusing series of inadequate galleries.
Working with staff and research stakeholders we initiated workshops defining collection linkage opportunities, leading to the major rebuilding project within the landlocked, urban and complex site. Our masterplan identified a multi-phased approach acknowledging funding, operational and logistical parameters. Its reinvention makes the museum and its collections legible and accessible, and has seen dramatic increase in visitor numbers.
Success of its conservation and interventions continue to be associated with positive impacts on the city’s economy.
Client Ashmolean Museum of Art & Archaeology and University of Oxford
Value £63m
Dates 2001 - 2017
Area 9,590m2
Use Museum, education, cafe, research
Team
MICA - Masterplanners, architectural services, lead designer, planning and listed building consents, conservation architect services, interior space planning, exhibition design, conservation plan, HLF Support, revenue generation
Gardiner & Theobald - Quantity Surveyor
Dewhurst Macfarlane & Partners - Structures
Atelier Ten - Services Engineer
Metaphor - Exhibition Design
David Bonnett Associates - Accessibility
Sandy Brown Associates - Acoustics
Kevin Shaw Lighting Design - Lighting
Mace - Project Management
BAM Construct UK - Contractor
Ashmolean Museum
Phase I of the masterplan involved the removal of the poor existing Victorian buildings behind the Cockerell building-built to house a rapidly growing collection under Evans, and later piecemeal accretions. The new building has six storeys, with a floor area of 9000m², 4000m² of which provides 100 per cent more display space. In addition to the new display space a new entrance from St Giles, and an Education Centre, Conservation studios and loading bay have also been created.
Early concept sketch. The building is organised by two major axes, creating a clear route through the building, unifying the entire museum and collection in a coherent manner
curated visitor experience and variety of spaces to showcase the collection
Laboratory for the conservation department with x-ray, radiography and RTI technology appliances for the care and protection of valuable Ashmolean objects
The rooftop cafe at the Ashmolean Museum diversifies revenue streams and utilises flexible seating arrangements to accommodate different group sizes and events, maximizing space usage
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Green roof terrace provides spill out for the cafe
Ashmolean Museum New museum
Awards:
AT Buildings that have stood the test of time 2023
Museum and Heritage Award 2018 - Shortlisted
RICS South East Award 2013 – Shortlisted
RIBA Regional Award Ashmolean Egypt Galleries 2012
Oxford Preservation Trust 2012
Civic Trust Award 2011
RIBA Award 2010
Stirling Prize Finalist (Received People’s Vote)
Phase II of the Ashmolean Museum masterplan involved a further redevelopment of the Museum’s existing Egypt galleries, housed in the 19th century Grade 1 listed building. The project extends and renovates these galleries on the ground floor to better represent the Museum’s rich collection and includes the refurbishment of the four existing galleries and the transformation of the existing shop into a further fifth gallery.
Our team was responsible for the overall design of the new galleries and both the architectural works and exhibition design. The scheme includes new and enlarged openings linking gallery spaces and providing more light and volume, as well as new environmental controls, finishes and lighting throughout. The exhibition design lays out the Ashmolean’s extensive Egyptian collection in a completely new and coherent way.
Client Ashmolean Museum
Value £5.2m
Dates 2009-2011
Use Museum, exhibition space, learning space, retail
Team
MICA - Architectural services, lead designer, planning and listed building consents, conservation architect services, interior space planning, exhibition design
Gardiner & Theobald - Quantity Surveyor
Axo diagram showing new and enlarged openings linkings gallery spaces, providing more light and volume
Ashmolean Museum Egypt Galleries
The Randolph Gallery within the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford was the primary ground floor space of Cockerell’s 1845 University Galleries, and has always been used for the display of principally classical sculpture. Originally the space was lit by clerestory windows to the north and south; the windows to the south remain, but the north lights were fully blocked in 1997 by a courtyard infill scheme.
The refurbishment works were identified in the masterplan for the museum. The works included restoring the Grade I listed space with the original 19C paint scheme replicated, and new lighting installed to the north to restore the sense of natural light from each side that was provided by Cockerell’s original design.
Client Ashmolean Museum
Value £300,000
Dates 2012-2013
Area 305m2
Use Museum, exhibition space
Team
MICA - Architectural services, lead designer, conservation architect services
Gardiner & Theobald - Quantity Surveyor
Randolph Gallery refurbishment complete
Ashmolean Museum
Randolph Gallery
MICA is a studio of 32 staff, 17 of whom are RIBA Chartered Architects. We use a broad studio organisation, with teams working in a collaborative and interlinked way. The two Directors— Stuart and Gavin—take on the role of Quality Assurance Director for each project, and work closely with the Associates who run the project on a day-to-day.
MICA is proud to announce our recent certification as a Benefit Corporation, enshrining our commitment to benefit society and the environment which has given us the opportunity to reflect on our processes and to look to the future with a tangible way of measuring and ensuring our continued accountability.
and
Lilian Swanson Associate Director, Bids
PR
James Roach Senior Associate
Mandy Franz Associate Director
Gavin Miller Director
Jonathan Evans Associate
Jessie Turnbull Associate Director
Victoria Timberlake Senior Associate
Paul Mullin Associate Director
Stuart Cade Director
Diverse Skilled Team
Accreditations
RIBA Chartered Practice
ARB Accredited Architects
RIBA Specialist Conservation Architect
Certified Passivhaus Designer
LEED Building Design and Construction
Accredited Professional
UKAS ISO 9001, 14001, 45001
Benefit Corporation
Affiliations
Wome in Architecture
Paradigm Network
Architects Declare signatory
Advocates of Low Energy
Transformation Initiative (LETI)
Advocates of RIBA 2030
Climate Challenge
NLA Partners
ARCO Building, Keble College
As a practice we have developed forward looking models across multiple sectors: cultural, transport, civic, and in education. MICA continuously evaluates and researches best practice and future trends across all areas of work, education and learning practices. Our wide-ranging services include masterplanning, architecture, interior design, graphics, modern methods of construction, regenerative and circular economy, net zero carbon design, healthy streets, regeneration and planning. Our full services provided are listed below:
