Michael Grubb Studio Achieve Double Awards Success at the Civic Trust Awards 2023

Michael Grubb Studio are delighted to share that not one, but two projects featuring the studio’s lighting design have been awarded in the renowned Civic Trust Awards 2023.

The Bath Abbey project was a winner of a Civic Trust Award, while the Arts University Bournemouth Student Accommodation project was awarded as Highly Commended.

The Bath Abbey Footprint project is a historic £19.3 million transformation programme of restoration work. The new lighting system by Michael Grubb Studio plays a major role in revealing and celebrating the Abbey’s unique architectural features, whilst providing flexible scenes for various services and events. The Civic Awards judges commented: “This scheme is a triumph of understated enhancement of a prime city centre asset.”

Michael Grubb Studio was appointed by the Arts University Bournemouth to provide lighting design services for the new £17M student accommodation campus. The lighting scheme covered all areas of the accommodation, from student bedrooms through to communal areas, circulation spaces and the exterior landscape. The Civic Awards judges commented: “This is a well-considered, well planned, well executed campus of residential accommodation for students at the university.”

2023 marked the 64th anniversary of the Civic Trust Awards, with the ceremony held on Friday 31st March in The Great Hall of the Marshall Building at the London School of Economics and Political Science, London. Following a rigorous multi-stage assessment process, 62 projects were rewarded from over 250 national and international entries. This year’s winners have demonstrated excellence and innovation in their respective fields, with projects that both enrich the physical environment and create a better sense of identity for communities.

Studio Founder Michael Grubb said: “It is an incredible honour for two of our lighting design projects to feature in the 2023 Civic Awards winners list. It is always fulfilling to work on projects which have a benefit to the community, creating lighting design which has a positive impact on those in the space. A huge congratulations to everyone involved in each of these projects for this well-deserved recognition.”

Photography: Civic Trust Awards / Chris Sharp Photography

Project credits:

Bath Abbey:
Client: Bath Abbey
Architect: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
Main Contractor: Emery Builders
Structural Engineer: Mann Williams
Lighting Design: Michael Grubb Studio
M&E Engineers: Buro Happold
Conservation Contractor: SSH Conservation
Project Manager: Synergy
Landscape Architect: LT Studio
Archaeological contractor: Wessex Archaeology
Cost Consultant: Synergy

Arts University Bournemouth Student Accommodation:
Client: Arts University Bournemouth
Architect: Design Engine Architects
Project Manager: AECOM
Landscape Architect: Hyland Edgar Driver
Main Contractor: Morgan Sindall Group plc
Civil Engineers: AKS Ward
Services Engineer: AECOM
Lighting Consultant: Michael Grubb Studios
Planning Consultant: Turley
Acoustic Consultant: Sustainable Acoustics