Design & build in Bloomsbury
MVV is a design and build contractor working on homes and period buildings across Bloomsbury, in the WC1 postcodes. We design and deliver refurbishments and restorations with one accountable team, bringing the care these historic buildings deserve. Bloomsbury is famous for its Georgian garden squares, long brick terraces and literary history, and it remains one of the most complete Georgian townscapes in London. Many homes are flats within listed terraces, and projects here are as much about stewardship as they are about renovation.
Bloomsbury's buildings and what they need
The area was developed largely in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries around squares such as Bedford Square, Russell Square and Gordon Square. Terraces of brick townhouses with fine doorcases, iron railings and tall sash windows line the streets, and many have been divided into flats or converted to other uses over time.
Inside, these homes often have beautiful proportions but tired services, cold walls and floors, and layouts shaped by past conversions. The work is to modernise heating, electrics, kitchens and bathrooms while repairing and respecting the original fabric.
Listed buildings and conservation
Bloomsbury lies within the London Borough of Camden and is covered by one of the borough's largest conservation areas, with a very high number of listed buildings. For a listed home, listed building consent is required for works that affect its character, which can include internal changes to walls, joinery, fireplaces and plasterwork.
We identify the consents your project needs at the start, prepare the drawings and specifications, and plan works in a way that protects the historic fabric throughout.
The projects we take on in WC1
Our work in Bloomsbury centres on the refurbishment of flats and townhouses, careful restoration of period features, discreet upgrades of heating and electrics, and new kitchens and bathrooms designed to sit comfortably within historic rooms. Bespoke joinery, from bookcases to window seats, suits these interiors particularly well.
Many buildings are shared, so we coordinate with freeholders, managing agents and neighbours before and during the works.
Related work across London
Across the river in Borough, we delivered the design and build conversion of an existing building into six flats and a commercial space, with a roof terrace, a deeper basement and restoration of the facade. Closer to Bloomsbury, on Baker Street in Marylebone, we refurbished a former Michelin-starred restaurant, restoring original features in collaboration with Red Deer Architects.
The MVV approach
MVV is a design and build contractor with a team of 35 designers, builders and project managers and an office in Chiswick. One contract covers design and construction, giving you a single point of responsibility. We carry £10M public and employers' liability cover.
What we do in Bloomsbury
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need listed building consent to refurbish my Bloomsbury flat?
- If the building is listed, as many in Bloomsbury are, you need listed building consent for any work affecting its character, which can include internal alterations. Carrying out such work without consent is a criminal offence. We establish what needs consent before work begins.
- Can I improve insulation in a Georgian building?
- Yes, with care. Period buildings need breathable, compatible materials, and some measures such as secondary glazing or insulating floors and roofs are often more appropriate than altering original windows or walls. We recommend approaches that suit the building and its consents.
- Can you restore original sash windows and joinery?
- Yes. We repair and restore sash windows, shutters, doors and other joinery wherever possible, and where replacement is needed, we match the original design.
- Do you work in shared and leasehold buildings?
- Yes. We obtain the freeholder's licence where required, agree working arrangements with managing agents and keep neighbours informed throughout.
- How long does a refurbishment take?
- It depends on the scope and the consents required, and listed building consent can add time before work starts. We set out a realistic programme in your proposal.