How Beardwell Construction is delivering projects with integrity and innovation
As a leading regional contractor with almost 40 years of experience in the construction industry, Beardwell Construction (Beardwell) prioritises quality, integrity, and professionalism in all its projects. Working across specialist sectors including universities, education, commercial, healthcare, heritage, and lifestyle, Beardwell consistently delivers high-quality refurbishment and construction projects that benefit both the client and the wider community.
Beardwell’s mission is to provide tailored solutions that reflect not only its commitment to construction excellence, but also its vision for a sustainable and innovative future. We sit down with Alex Larn, Pre-Construction Director, to discuss the company’s latest projects. “Beardwell was founded in 1986 by Paul Beardwell, the owner, who still works within the business,” Alex opens. “We’ve delivered main contracting work since 1995, and today, we’re a £30 million regional contractor delivering refurbishment works and new construction across Essex, London, Kent, and Suffolk. As a family-owned business, we have traditional values and consider ourselves a very non-confrontational company.
“We have an excellent local reputation, and we are often approached for projects before the tendering process begins,” he adds. “Although we do take on private client work occasionally, we primarily work in the public sector, and our main clients are typically schools, academy trusts, colleges, and police or fire and rescue services. We operate several framework agreements, including one with Queen Mary University of London, where we hold long-term relationships and complete several projects for specific clients.”
As our conversation continues, Alex turns his attention to current projects. “We are involved in a prestigious project at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, where we are refurbishing the basement area and providing a new archive centre,” he shares. “The organisation had an anonymous donation to upgrade their facilities, particularly in relation to historical documents. Currently, the documents are stored in non-waterproof and non-fireproof conditions, so we are upgrading these facilities to ensure the documents can be preserved in the event of a fire or flood.
“Whilst working on these facilities, we are also upgrading the toilets and visitor areas, making this a combined £3-million project. This is an exciting project, and we’ve been able to work with one of our longstanding partners, Ingleton Wood, an architectural firm that we have worked with on many projects over a long period of time.”
Beardwell is also working on an exciting project at the Waldorf Theatre, otherwise known as the Novello Theatre, in London. “We are carrying out extensive steel work on the theatre roof to create a new floor above the existing performance theatre, which will include an outdoor terrace,” Alex explains. “The ongoing extension and transformation of this iconic venue includes lifting steel sections onto the roof from neighbouring Catherine Street using a mobile tower crane. As the theatre remains fully operational throughout the project, we are undertaking it without a full road closure, requiring meticulous planning, coordination, and a high degree of sensitivity. We are working closely with all stakeholders and it’s a privilege to contribute to the evolution of such an historic space.”
Aside from ongoing operations, the company has recently completed a £5.5-million project at Willowfield School in Walthamstow. Alex elaborates: “This was a two-phase project; the first phase was to build six new classrooms as well as toilets and office space to provide provision for new science and mathematics classrooms, and the second phase was to extend the existing activity centre and refurbish the reception area. Both phases involved extensive temporary works, as we were required to keep the existing classrooms operational as works proceeded.”
With the construction sector facing increased pressure to decarbonise and adopt sustainable solutions, Beardwell is embracing green initiatives. “We are passionate about sustainability and wider ESG principles,” Alex states. “We have recently installed solar PV panels at our offices, as well as purchasing hybrid vehicles and installing charging points. We are also actively engaging in waste reduction methods, and for the Willowfield School project, zero waste went to landfill for three consecutive months and was instead recycled or repurposed. As part of this project’s social value initiative, we sponsored a local charity, the Walthamstow Tool Library, which enables local people to borrow a range of tools. It works like a normal library with a nominal joining fee and it was very rewarding to donate £5000 worth of tools to support its ongoing operation.” 
On the topic of ESG, Alex is keen to highlight how Beardwell supports its employees. “The best way of explaining our approach to people, apprenticeships, and developments is through a real-world example,” he says. “We have an employee, Sammy Gardner, who joined us ten years ago at the age of 16 as a trainee surveyor. Over the last ten years, we have supported him through university where he gained a first-class degree, and he is now managing a small team of junior surveyors. He’s a real success story and I feel personally proud to have seen him progress with the company.”
With more than three decades of experience and a forward-thinking approach to construction, Beardwell continues to balance traditional values with modern innovation. From preserving cultural landmarks like Shakespeare’s Globe to enhancing educational facilities, the company is crafting a legacy of integrity and strong client relationships.
Commenting on what’s next for the business, Alex says: “We are working on a £9 million refurbishment and extension project at a chocolate factory in Suffolk, which involves providing new spaces for manufacturing and processing, packaging, and warehousing operations. We are linking a new building to the existing site, all within a working food factory, meaning we face some challenges in ensuring everything is compliant with food safety standards.
“As we grow in the coming years, we will continue to provide development opportunities for our people, push our sustainability agenda, and build strong external relationships to help win future work,” Alex concludes. “We want to support younger generations and bring young but experienced talent into the business to inject new ideas and propel further growth. However, in terms of growth, we’re conscious not to run before we can walk, but rather to maintain our strong reputation for being a trusted, non-confrontational company while we steadily expand.”