A BUILDING firm has been chosen to carry out work on a building which houses international students at the University of Oxford.

Construction firm Beard has been appointed as preferred bidder on a project to extend and restructure the basement of Rhodes House in central Oxford, home to the Rhodes Trust.

The £20 million scheme will see three new basements created to allow for additional accommodation, increased office space, and a brand-new conference centre to host speakers and delegates from around the world as soon as this becomes possible.

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With the bulk of the project involving works below ground level, it is anticipated that most of the Trust’s operations will continue as normal during construction.

Subject to planning consents it is hoped that the main construction will begin at the end of July 2020.

The project is expected to take approximately 24 months to complete.

Dean Averies, director for Beard Oxford, commented: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime project. The Rhodes Trust is a world-renowned institution, and Rhodes House is a very special building in its own right.

“Our longstanding association with the University of Oxford means Beard is ideally placed to deliver facilities that will enhance the Trust’s work while respecting the history of the building and the Trust."